For Sunday December 31st, 2023

Gracious greetings to all, what a treat to be able to connect textually with you all.
As we understand it all things are connected anyway in an all encompassing spiritual fabric. This includes the grand, outwardly loving things as well as the personally meager and selfish.

So, weaving in the golden threads of your life promotes the overall beauty of the universe. Also, since all the difficulties of the world are equally connected, tugging and pulling on those threads helps to unravel the entire gol-darn thing.

May we sit on the evening of the last day of this year and do our part, as it comes to us, to finish off whatever bit of hemming may be needed.

With many blessings,

Richard

PS I've been asked to give a presentation on Tom Sawyer at a Gathering of Angels event up here in East Rochester on January 20th. Here's a link for those who may be interested:
https://www.vickisnyder.com/about-1?utm_campaign=c80ee821-c077-4989-983f-f6914fb4723c&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=49e870af-4110-4fe4-877a-e9f6d5c9d180  

For Sunday December 17th, 2023

Hello once more loving people. We can see the human foible of desire for external power playing out in the national and international news, and the admonishment to love one another finding slight traction.

 
As in all things, there are lessons here. How difficultly those lessons are applied is a matter of our collective consciousness. It is always appropriate to clear our own consciousness. And, it's always righteous to petition God for Divine Light to come down upon those involved.

Let us petition God this Sunday. May Divine Light shine down upon the leaders, and their followers, of the various factions involved.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday December 10th, 2023

Hello beautiful, loving people. My recent medical escapade has brought home to me the beauty of humility. I kept saying I'd been very fortunate throughout my life but a friend has corrected me by saying that I was blessed in this event. While I would not be so bold as to claim to know God's will for me, I also cannot argue against it. To have had a stroke which paralyzed the entire left side of my body then, two weeks later, to have no sign of it is beyond remarkable.

From modern medical science, to amazingly dedicated and professional EMTs, doctors, and nurses, to the numbers of people praying for me – I was blessed.

So this evening I humbly request we sit for all the helpers, visible and invisible, who come to the aid of others, and do so out of pure Love. May we continue to be visible helpers, each in our own way, to humanity.

Reverently offered,

Richard

For Sunday December 3rd, 2023

Hello to all. Good to be typing to you again! If you're ever wondering if you're loved just do something dumb and see who turns out to help.The response has put me in tears more than once this past week.

We would all benefit from being grateful for those who do now, and have before, assisted us in life.

And, the idea that humanity is healing can be seen in the growing number of people who are more concerned with the welfare of innocents in a war zone than in who is winning. As Jimmy Carter said, "You don't create peace by killing each other's children."

So, may we sit this evening with warmly thankful hearts, which is what brings true healing – to us and to the world.

Bless you always,

Richard

For Sunday November 19th, 2023

Hello, loving people. The ancients tell us that life is a manifestation of the divine – and that our minds are the builders of what that life turns out to be. With that responsibility in mind, our options are to follow our selfish desires or the creative forces.

Following our selfish desires brings us into the law of cause and effect, where karma dictates the elements of our lives. Whereas intuitively following the creative forces can lead us into a state of grace, and our higher calling.

May we sit this evening for that intuition where we are called to from the creative forces. May we hear. May we have the courage to follow.

Offered in reverence,

Richard

For Sunday November 12th, 2023

Hello again, beautiful healers. The vast majority of the world's troubles can be boiled down to one thing, a belief in separation. The only way for people to treat each other horribly is to see others as being separate from self.

From individuals to entire countries, hearts break, as the pattern holds terribly true.

May we sit this evening for the awareness of We are One. May God's will be done to lead us to this essential lesson. May broken hearts mend. May separate hearts join.

Reverently offered,

Richard

For Sunday November 5th, 2023

Hello wonderful people, with the understanding that violence begets violence let us sit for peaceful intentions, and God's will, be done in the Middle East.

 
As simple as that.

Thank you and bless you all,

Richard 

For Sunday October 29th, 2023

Hello to one and all, Carl Jung tells us that where there is love, there is no need nor any will for power. And, where lust for power predominates, there love is lacking.

 
This can apply to individuals, countries, and even religions.

 
May we sit this evening for the love which is lacking in the world. May we find it in our hearts. May we spread it across Mother Earth.

 
Love and Light to all,

Richard

For Sunday October 22, 2023 - late again

Hello lately again, due to my foolish lifestyle I'm late once more. So may we please sit for those involved in the tragedy in the middle east.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday October 15th, 2023

Hello to all and sundry, though all of us are important. The tragedy in the middle east can be seen as the current failure of all major religions, the highest teachings of which are 'God is One'.

Minds of separation tend to rely upon external power to fulfill their desires in the world. As in, "My 'rules of life' are paramount. I am entitled to impose them upon you."

However, being separated and being individualized are not the same.

Tomorrow evening, as individualized creations of the One, may we remember our commonalities. We all love our friends, family, and children. We all strive for a contented, satisfying life. We all suffer heart-break.

May we sit for our heart-felt connections in this world.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday October 1st, 2023

Hello fellow seekers, J. Krishnamurti tells us the word 'seeking' implies that we have lost something and intend to find it. And that when we find it we'll be able to recognize it and, if we can recognize it that means – we've already known it.

So we're not so much seeking as recovering what has previously been known to us.

Can we sit so still as to look deeply, clearly into our spiritual beginnings? Can we uncover any degree of that which has been displaced? May we sit this Sunday evening toward that beautiful effort.

Blessings upon us all,

Richard

For Sunday September 24th, 2023

Hello to all, we're told that if we face the Light, the shadows of our burdens will fall behind us. However, constantly facing the Light can take some serious searching of our hearts, as we're all susceptible to human foibles.

Being human we are astonishingly good at justifying anything to ourselves, even in the face of 'love one another'. This is why scrupulous discernment is essential when spiritual progress is our goal.

May we sit Sunday evening in observance, and releasing of, our human foibles. And in remembrance of this – once we're in the Light, there are no shadows.

Blessings on us all,

Richard

For Sunday September 17th, 2023

Hello beautiful people, drawing on the work of Dr. Charles Whitfield in his book Healing the Child Within we learn that people from dysfunctional families are not broken but more accurately are wounded. Rather than needing to be 'fixed' they need to heal.

 
To be honest, we all have something we need to heal from. As we heal we become better healers ourselves, sometimes simply by our presence. And, we need not be fully healed to do this beautiful work. We can still be very helpful by coming from a 'place of healing' and letting spirit guide us when healing is needed for others.

 
May we sit this evening to find that 'place of healing' within us. By setting aside our personal foibles for just a bit, we may well be exactly what others need.

 
May all be well,

Richard

For Sunday September 10th, 2023

Hello to all, peace on the world stage is described as being the absence of conflict. Yet this peace is maintained by conflict, whether it's military might, financial requirements, or political influence. All of these are forms of conflict – peace enforced upon divided peoples from external sources.

 
In personal terms, to have peace one has to live peacefully. Personal peace comes from Oneness, of there being no divisions or competitions between people to begin with.

May we sit this evening for our own personal peace. May we see others as ourselves. May we create the peace which is ours to own.

 
Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday September 3, 2023

Hello everyone, as I'll be away at the IANDS conference this weekend I'm sending out Sunday's meditation early. I hope I'm not catching you unawares.

In the world of performance clowning failure is seen as funny, try to take the top off of a can of raisins and the bottom drops out, spilling raisins all over the floor. This leaves the clown in the unenvious, but hilarious, position of trying to gather up the raisins without stepping on them. The clown's problems and creative solutions are delightful, because we are observing them from a safe distance.

And, we can learn to see problems in our daily lives from a safe distance as well. That safe distance is knowing that we are eternal spiritual beings who are, at the moment, caught up in the 'raisin gathering' of material life. Not to say that everything we meet in life will be hilarious, but that we will come through it in some fashion.

 
May we sit this coming Sunday for the fortitude to face our lives knowing there are some very serious 'raisin spills' to be handled, and that there is always an end game.

 
Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 27th, 2023

Hello to one and all, who are One anyway. May we take some time to sit for those involved in the Maui wildfires this evening? As prayers are vibrations, which accumulate with each added person, and the intentions of consciousness bend emerging probabilities, may we ask that God's will be done.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 20th, 2023

Let us start by wishing a gracious good day to all.

 
And now, being human we have our material and psychological needs and desires. Some are essential for maintaining our existence on Earth, some are not. We have varying degrees of attachment to all of them. If we could drop them all, even for a minute, humanity would be transformed.

 
However, our attachments are extremely strong. To drop all of them, even for a moment, is to launch ourselves into a vast unknown. Therein lies the problem: strong attachments VS the vast unknown. We don't even know how to let them go.

May we sit Sunday evening and take a chance. Can we release everything and simply be? Whether we make it or not, it is always worth the effort as honest effort is always considered righteous. Let's give it a go.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday August 13th, 2023

Hello again beautiful people. Casting a glance at the difficulties in the world today leads to a general conclusion: there are those who are attached to their illusions of power, loving inwardly of their selfish desires; and there are those who love outwardly, caring for the conditions of others.

There are many manifestations of each form, individual to the person and the situation, but quiet observation brings it clear.

May we sit tomorrow evening in support of a loving vibration within the material plane. May those who love outwardly be energized. May those who love inwardly come to see themselves more clearly. May we once again apply ourselves toward "As Above, So Below."

Bless you all for all you do,

Richard

For Sunday August 6th, 2023

A gracious hello once more. Look at the phrase 'mind is the builder' which is colloquially restated as  'what you think about you bring about' and notice how powerful that is on a personal basis. It may not be the totality but it's an important facet of creating our own reality.

 
And, as long as we're creating our own reality, the turmoils of the world notwithstanding, let's choose a good one.

May we sit Sunday evening with the intention of facing whatever the world holds for us with strength, courage, and calmness. May we be the Light we wish to see. May we walk upon the Earth in such a way that Love shines through us.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday July 30th, 2023

Hello to one and all. The Native American phrase 'walk in balance' refers to living your life in concert with spirituality. You must take care of your physical body and livelihood in order to be here – to do your spiritual job.

 
Perhaps this is what the Buddha meant by 'the middle way' of not fully rejecting the physical world nor of getting lost within it.

May we sit this evening to find our balance, our middle way, the singular path we make for ourselves in service to both the personal and the greater good.

Bless you all for all you do,

Richard

For Sunday July 23rd, 2023

Hello everyone, as I'll be away from my computer for a week or so this Sunday's meditation is here now. Lucky us, eh?  :o)

In the grand picture we wish for the enlightenment of humanity. In the immediate picture we wish for a spiritual upgrade of ourselves. As with so many things, the two are one and the same.

 
There is no way to separate an upgrade of ourselves from that of humanity. We are a piece of that humanity. Each time we say a kind word, share an honest smile, or reach out in compassion to someone in dis-ease, we do our part to enlighten all. It's that simple.

 
May we sit Sunday evening for the forbearance to continue our own spiritual unfoldment amongst the many distractions of life. The end result will be worth it, and perhaps the immediate too.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday July 16th, 2023

Hello everyone, this is from the Book of Job, channeled through Linus in the Peanuts comic strip, to here:

"Where were you when He laid the foundation of the Earth? Who laid its cornerstone when its morning stars sang together? Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst forth from the womb? Have you entered the storehouse of the snow? Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens? Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Do you give the horse his might? Is it by your wisdom that the hawk soars, and spreads his wings toward the south?"

We have our existence on an absolute marvel, the Big Blue Marble. May we sit this evening in awe.

With Blessings,

Richard

For Sunday July 9th, 2023

And hello again to all. It's easy to get caught up in the military, political, and economic machinations of the world, leading us to search for security, certainty, and material direction in life. Yet there is no certain direction.

 
Humanity and the physical world, moving through time, is more like a river which is constantly moving, flowing past rocks, over waterfalls, and ebbing around turns in its constant motion.

 
Our job is to follow it by listening to our hearts, no matter which direction it flows in any given moment.

May we sit this Sunday to focus upon the area of our chests where the physical heart resides. Listen carefully, try to discern honestly. It has a wisdom beyond our understanding, and a deep basis of love.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday July 2nd, 2023

Hello again everyone, as I'll be out of town and not sure of a return date I'll send out Sunday's meditation now. Maybe it'll give you a chance to prepare yourselves.

J. Krishnamurti tells us that a different kind of action occurs when there are no masks of pretension or defense. This action is fresh rather than based upon accumulated knowledge or experience and, as with all innocence, it is totally vulnerable.

From that place of innocence and vulnerability, free of both memories of the past and thoughts of the future, comes an extraordinary thing in which there is no sorrow, nor pain, nor pleasure, but instead an unlimited amount of joy.

This Sunday, may we set down even if only for a moment, all which stands between us and our spiritual birthright – a nearly inexpressible joy.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday June 25th, 2023

Hello lovely people, there may come a time when your desire to heal a situation is tempered by how to help the healing process. Basically the options are any of the energetic techniques – Reiki, fervent prayer, and their cousins, which are highly effective and often quick; or the subtle, intuitively based mustard seeds which, when spread out over time, can bring about a change in attitude and behavior which then creates the healing.

Both are essential in their uses.

Discernment between the two is based on underlying causes, immediate needs, and long-term viability. A potential problem, simply stated, is when someone's dis-ease is a function of their attitude toward life. A quick energetic zap can alleviate their discomfort then 'wear off' in time due to their unchanged attitude, leaving them more dis-heartened than before.

May we sit with this awareness this evening. May our sight be clear. May we understand and choose well for the benefit of all.

Bless you all for all you do,

Richard

For Sunday June 18th, 2023

Hello and Happy Father's Day to one and all, especially since all are One. As we look at the world we see those who are more and more desperately grasping onto the illusions of external power, financial, political, military, etc. Their grasping becomes more extreme as their fear grows and their fear is a trap, they cannot see a better future.

 
They do not realize this – that which they fear, adores them.

We all hold onto something which stands between us and that which adores us. Otherwise we'd all have become fully enlightened already.

 
Our 'job' this Sunday, as at all times, is to connect more fully with that adoring energy. We are loved beyond our measure. May we measure out a little love ourselves to all who need it.

Blessings, and thank you to Our Father,

Richard

For Sunday June 11th, 2023

Hello beautiful people, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has been ongoing since 1938, 85 years so far. They have found one thing which correlates with health, and with happiness, and long life, and well-being – warm relationships with people. The relationships can be with a spouse, family members, friends, co-workers, or the clerk at the store. They all have positive impacts.

It can be seen as a physical manifestation of 'we are One'.

 
May we sit this evening in favor of these warm relationships. May they bring us peace. May we be at peace.

Love and Light to all,

Richard

For Sunday June 4th, 2023

Hello to all and sundry. ...I wrote that on a whim, then took a moment to look up 'sundry' – "Various items not important enough to be mentioned individually." It brought me to laughter because, in the grand scheme of Love we are each at the center of the universe.

 
We are all held in a Love which is beyond our ability to conceive it. Any particle of this love which we can spread to ourselves and others is beauty made manifest, as we are here to do.

May we sit this evening in grateful appreciation for how we are held, for how we manage to hold, and for what the future can bring.

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday May 28th, 2023

Hello to all, our souls, being from the pure love of the Divine, seek to express that love, their Divinity, within the material world. Our souls operate through our physical bodies to do this; through our thoughts, words, and actions.

If our selves; our egos, identities, psychology, and uniqueness could awaken to this fine point – the world would immediately change.

May we sit this evening with this awareness. May we find any way that our Divine love may peek through into this world. May we see how it changes our immediate world.

Thank you for your loving work,

Richard

For Sunday May 21st, 2023

Hello everyone, we are told to watch our thoughts, for they tell us who we are, and are the builders of our lives. As our desires become thoughts, those thoughts lead us either into the karmic law of cause and effect or into grace, depending upon their qualities.

 
Because of free will, we get to choose.

May we sit Sunday evening for the awareness of what flows through our minds. May we choose what to focus upon wisely and lovingly. May we build more beautiful lives in doing so.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday May 14th, 2023

Hello and a gracious Mother's Day greeting to you. We are told to have dominion over the Earth. Would this be a modern, psychological, masculine domination concept of dominion? Or, having been made in God's image, perhaps a more spiritual understanding is required?

Given that to heal is to attune to spiritual heritage, perhaps we should attune ourselves to loving the Earth and all which lives upon it.

May we sit this evening exploring the many aspects of love which would please our great mother, the Earth.

Blessings for you all,

Richard

For Sunday May 7th, 2023

Hello everyone, we are told to not despair over the condition of the world, for there is much to learn from what we commonly call 'failure'. From the loss of loved ones, to witnessing the worst of humanity, to hearing a baby's laughter, we are learning our way into a promised future by the touching of our hearts, if we but listen.
 
This is not the only moment we exist but rather – it is about how we exist.

We are learning to live our lives 'in tune' with the universe. Our ups and our downs give us guidance, perhaps slowly but definitely. May we each sing the songs of our lives in our turn.

Thank you all,

Richard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0xzyhoeu1Y
 

For Sunday April 30th, 2023

Hello everyone, we are told that whether by drugs, surgery, or gentle care; all healing is the attunement of the living cellular body to its spiritual heritage. 

The fly in that ointment is that there can be spiritual requirements for facing some dis-ease. At that point discerning which treatments, and with what attitude, to face the dis-ease becomes essential.

May we sit Sunday evening for ourselves and others who may be facing such distress. May we find and share courage, strength, and faith. May we fully be where we find ourselves, and be of assistance to others.

Thank you all for all you do,

Richard

For Sunday April 23rd, 2023

Hello everyone, we are told that during our sojourn on this Earth we constantly meet ourselves. Everything we do is us doing. Everything we react to is us reacting. If we can stand aside and observe this process as we go through it, we can learn.

 
As we learn to see ourselves more clearly we see others more clearly also, and perhaps with a bit of compassion for what they're going through.

May we sit this evening for the quickening effect of seeing clearly. Honesty and courage will be our bywords in this. May love and understanding be our results.

Bless you all,

Richard 

For Sunday April 16th, 2023

Hello everyone, birds instinctively know dawn is coming. They begin singing long before the sky lightens. In a similar manner many people were born in this time period to assist and celebrate humanity's spiritual dawn.

 
One of the stumbles between where we are and where we want to be is forgiveness. It can be very difficult to forgive someone who has injured you in some way. And yet, knowing that we are all One, it must be done in order to move forward.

 
May we sit this evening for the fortitude it takes to look honestly and compassionately at those who may have caused us distress. Our holding of grievances is us holding our own selves back from where we were born to go.

 
Offered in reverence,

Richard

For Easter Sunday April, 9th, 2023

Hello beautiful people, as so many in this world celebrate the situation of the Resurrection may we celebrate the unimaginable love which prompted it.

 

The power and intensity of such love cannot be conveyed by mere words to mere minds. However, silent contemplation may bring us closer.

May we sit this evening while allowing expansion beyond our thoughts. May we be open to the loving guidance which can show us the way forward. May our efforts heal us, and thereby the world.

Offered in reverence,

Richard

For Sunday April 2nd, 2023

Hello all, we humans spend a lot of time focusing on peace, no matter the turmoil we're in. This of course is admirable. However, J. Krishnamurti tells us that peace itself is a by-product, not an end in itself. A forced peace is not really peace, it's simply a withholding of aggressions, and doomed to be temporary.
 
True peace is a by-product of something much greater, something from within each of us where there is no aggression to begin with, either against ourselves or others.

May we sit this Sunday for the courage to see what arises when we are willing to let the false power of aggressions fade. We may need the courage to be vulnerable, the strength to honestly reassess ourselves, and the willingness to learn a new way.

Blessings on us all,

Richard

For Sunday March 26th, 2023

Hello all, looking around the world today we may find ourselves wishing the powers-that-be would simply fix everything, one fell swoop and all's well. But what would be learned?

With the understanding that existence is eternal we can see the horrors of the world as intense lessons, this is what happens when you do that, and we come back to try again.

Even the heart-breaking passage of a bright 6 year old, who touched the hundreds of attendees at her celebration of life, and way more beyond, can be seen as an exceptionally brave teaching experience.

So let us sit tonight for the bravery to face the lessons we encounter, and how they may become contributions to the healing of the world.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday March 19th, 2023

Hello to everyone on this beautiful day. We are often of two motivations, that of the spiritual and that of the psychological, and they're not always in agreement. We clearly can trust the purely spiritual, but sometimes our psychological 'self talk' isn't as helpful as it might be.

Internal comments of;
"I don't think I can do this"
"I hope nothing else goes wrong"
"What if I screw it up, again?"
Can easily lead us away from satisfaction with ourselves, with others, and the possible completion of our tasks.

Taking a moment to put our hand on our hearts, maybe even tapping our chests, and saying;
"You've got this"
"It's ok, you're doing well"
"I'll get as much done as I can"
Can go a long way toward grounding us, putting us back in touch with who we really are, and allowing ourselves to move forward with more positive, relaxed attitudes.

May we sit this evening for such self-love. May it put our feet on the ground, and elevate our hearts.

Blessings on us all,

Richard

For Sunday March 12th, 2023

Hello to all, we strive for the inner understanding that all humans are of one species and indeed, we are all One at our core. On the other hand, caste systems of all kinds are built upon inequality, a feeling of 'better than' – borne out of insecurity, fear, and the desire to control.

History shows, and still today, there are some 'leaders' who are willing to capitalize on these human frailties and work to create arbitrary caste systems where some humans are seen as 'less than' or undesirable, even to the point of suggesting eradication. Yet, the great teachers tell us that whatever the difficulties, because of Oneness, we are always meeting ourselves.

May we sit Sunday evening to see ourselves in all others; the subordinated, the 'less than', and even in the promoters of such. May our sense of Oneness deepen within. May our light shine in how we treat others.

In reverence,

Richard

For Sunday March 5th, 2023

Hello good people, if we see the experiences of life as being various manifestations of divinity we may then choose to set about treating them creatively, meaning from love. Given that we can set aside our reactive mind and be lovingly creative, we will find ourselves moving from karma into grace.

And, from this loving grace we move into our higher calling.

May we sit this evening for the ability to honestly recognize our reactivity. May we look anew with eyes of love. May this grace lead us forward.

With blessings for all,

Richard

For Sunday February 26th, 2023

Hello again, I apologize to anyone who might have read enough about Maddie by now but, when huge things happen in your life they tend to last a while and affect everything else you're doing, hopefully for the better.

The celebration of life for Maddie was yesterday, beautiful beyond words, much as Maddie was. Quick story: Whenever asked how she was doing she'd answer by showing two thumbs up and saying, "I'm good."
Every single time:
When she was running a fever of 109, "I'm good."
When her oxygen saturation was only 50%, "I'm good."
When her stats showed her body should be in the morgue, "I'm good."
And two thumbs up, every time.

I like to think she was speaking from her soul, knowing she was doing her spiritual job – opening hearts. The condition of her body was less important than the spiritual condition of her presence on Earth.

There's too much to cover here, but on the back of the program was one of her favorite stories – The Sparkly Caterpillar by Melissa Carney:
"Once upon a time there was a beautiful baby Caterpillar. From the first time her parents saw their baby, they knew she was special!
The Baby Caterpillar was pink! It was a soft pink, but nothing like the other caterpillars. She was special. She even sparkled when she went into the sunlight.
Baby Caterpillar grew up to do amazing things. She could dance and sing and she could draw the most colorful pictures.
Baby Caterpillar had a wonderful imagination, the other Caterpillars couldn't help but watch her. She could play, swim, and go on adventures!
One day the baby caterpillar dreamed of flying! The other Caterpillars were scared, they didn't know how to fly. But the baby Caterpillar was creative.
She made the most beautiful sparkly wings. She was ready for her next adventure!
The other caterpillars began to feel sad. They didn't have wings, and they weren't ready to fly off yet. They didn't want her to leave.
Baby Caterpillar knew one more big show would make them feel better. So before she put her wings on she gave the best show ever!
She smiled, she sparkled, she danced, and she sang. She encouraged everyone to have fun with her!
She did all her best tricks, and so did the other caterpillars until everyone was happy again.
Now all of the caterpillars can put on a show and make each other happy.
Baby Caterpillar knew they would be ok while she was gone on her adventure.
She wrapped herself up in her beautiful wings, and did a spin. The wings popped open and she looked like a butterfly! She was the most beautiful sparkly butterfly.
Baby Caterpillar, now a sparkly butterfly, asked her friends and family to help cheer her on. She was going to fly as high as she could go.
They all started to cheer, telling her how much they loved her, they would miss her, and thanking her for teaching them all how to have fun.
She flew higher and higher until she couldn't see them anymore. For a moment she was sad, she was going to miss all the games and fun they had together.
When she looked out she saw the most beautiful sunset. It was ok to be sad, but this was going to be an amazing adventure.
Baby Caterpillar flew off leaving sparkles in the air so the other caterpillars would always remember her."
This evening, may we wish Maddie Godspeed. And, may we find bits of sparkles in the air, that we may fly high too.

With Great Love,

Richard

For Sunday February 19th, 2023

Hello everyone, given the powerful emotions brought on by Maddie's passing I find myself focused upon the spiritual lessons of her short, young life as well as the human condition of dealing with it honestly.

I find great comfort in seeing her as a teacher who came here to open people's hearts – and did such an incredible job of it. I simply don't know if she could have done more by living longer.

And I've done a fair share of 'ugly crying' over being gutted by the loss of her on Earth. I've found that both perspectives are essential for me.

With that in mind, may we sit this evening with awareness that we are both spiritual and human, and blessedly so. Godspeed Maddie, and thank you for the courage to bring us closer to our hearts with your own heart.

Reverently offered,

Richard

For Sunday February 12th, 2023

Hello good people, natural disasters are a fact of life. Nature must do what it must do. It is our job to adjust to it, and take care of those who are adversely affected.

With that said, let us sit for those in Syria and Turkey who are in need of all kinds of help.

We can at least add our heartfelt prayers.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday February 5th, 2023

Hello good people, given the graciousness of Maddie in the post by her mother, it only seems fitting that we search within ourselves for that same selfless out-pouring of love.

Maddie seems to have been born with great compassion, "Some people's problems are bigger than ours." As we deal with our problems, let us not forget that others are struggling too.

May we sit this evening for that same loving, joyful outlook. If she has come here to spread such light, it behooves us to pick it up and do the same. As it is written, "And a small child shall lead them."

Bless you all,

Richard

For Sunday January 29th, 2023

Gracious greetings to all, the current rash of mass shootings, along with the beating of Tyre Nichols, demonstrates some of the imbalance in the world. It also brings to mind the process of Ho'oponopono, (pronounced HO-oh-Po-no-Po-no). The basic translation of which is 'cause things to move back into balance' or to 'make things right.'

 
The typical wording for the practice is, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you."

It depends upon not just rote repetition of the words, but deeply searching yourself for even a hint of the imbalance you see in the outer world, staring it straight in the face unflinchingly – and removing it from yourself. Whatever amount you remove from yourself, that much is gone from the world. And as we know that like attracts like vibrationally – your efforts will benefit all.

May we sit Sunday evening in deep Ho'oponopono. By doing so, may we see that we thereby move through the world differently.

 
Blessings to all,

Richard

For Sunday January 22nd, 2023

Hello again, here is an extension to last week's theory of the person who lives in the back of our heads, reviewing the past and trying to keep us safe. As we continue to stare that person down, revealing our current anxiety to be shadows of the past, we open ourselves to glimpses of a greater reality.

As our material world is temporary, held in place by spiritual design, so too is our emotional world although held in place by our past experiences.

May we sit this evening to see beyond this lifelong yet temporary existence. May we glimpse the underpinnings of all that is – so that Divine Will shall flow through us.

Blessings on us all,

Richard

For Sunday January 15th, 2023

Hello everyone, here is a theory: 

There is a small person who lives in the back of our heads. This person has instant access to every slight, burden, and injury we've ever experienced in our lives, real or imagined. But, this essential record keeper cannot see outside. Their only access is to the past.
We, who are perceiving the world through our eyes, can see whatever the current situation may be and, we are constantly in touch with the record keeper. This record keeper's job is to keep us safe by reminding us of any past history which resembles what we are currently seeing through our eyes. It's an important job and they take it very seriously.

Along with this there is another person who lives above our heads. That person has a much higher perspective and therefore sees far more clearly than we can possibly see through our eyes. We, in a desire for safety, are rarely in touch with this higher perspective choosing instead the warnings of the record keeper, who has provable history to back up their claims.

It turns out that if you can face the record keeper without turning away, stare them straight in the eye without blinking, they most often back down on their claims of impending doom.

Doing so provides us with a degree of freedom. We may then be able to face the current situation without the record keeper screaming dire warnings in our ears, and we may even be able to connect with the higher self living contentedly above our heads.

This evening, if it resonates with you, may we see into ourselves, possibly identifying each character in the theory. May we have the strength of focus to assess the truth of the record keeper's claims. May we hear the quiet voice from above.

Thank you all,

Richard

For Sunday January 8th, 2023

Hello everyone, the physical temple which houses us throughout this lifetime has its requirements and its pitfalls. It is finely crafted to address our lessons. Free will allows us to explore the extremes of addiction, or deprivation, or over-indulgence – while also providing us an ongoing opportunity to become one with the creative forces.

Our destiny is found in the choices we make day by day.

May we sit this evening for the sensitivity to 'hear' the quiet voice, to see our choices clearly, and to choose well.

Blessings upon all,

Richard