For Sunday October 27th, 2024

Here is an early Hello to all. I'll be away in VA Beach at the NDE retreat this weekend, so this is Sunday's meditation, already.

 
We all have monkey mind while trying to meditate. I've been 'enjoying' it for years now. However, in the book Spiritual Sight by Melvin Morse and Isabelle A. Chauffeton Saavedra, there is a pretty neat way of handling it. They offer that we acknowledge the thought as occurring, recognize its importance, then state that it cannot be resolved within the time frame of the meditation – so it will be set aside for now.

It can be simple, as if you're saying to your busy mind, "Yes, that's a problem, but it cannot be resolved in the next hour so let's set it aside." No judgement. No denying. No struggle. Repeat as necessary, without judgement.

May we give this a try this Sunday, or anytime, and see what happens.

Offered in loving grace,

Richard

For Sunday October 20th, 2024

Hello, to all and sundry. In his book An Urgent Message for Humanity, Melvin Morse describes an encounter a medium had with a pre-selected target. The medium reported going to the target, an older woman hospitalized with atrial fibrillation, saying hello to her, touching her arm, and telling her that her daughter would be coming to visit in a few minutes. Upon returning to the sitting room, where her body had been the entire time, the medium wrote down what happened and drew a picture of the woman.

The older woman was questioned. She reported that someone said hello to her although no one else was in the room at the time, and that she felt a hand on her arm. A few minutes later her daughter arrived to visit. And, her atrial fibrillation was gone.

There are many of these seeming 'angel encounters' which were actually brought about by living people who managed to become fervently and lovingly focused.

May we sit this evening with the intention to practice a fervent, loving, focus, then let our hearts lead us on. You never know what may happen by developing even a degree of it. Let's find out, shall we?

Bless you all in all you do,

Richard

For Sunday October 13th, 2024

Hello beautiful people. By the time Tom Sawyer was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis he had already beaten the typical life expectancy for that disease. Typical life expectancy was five years from the onset of symptoms. He had lived eight years by then. When he was included in a research study for a new treatment, he was the only one who really benefited.

His explanation – attitude changes everything.

How we approach a problem has no effect on the problem itself, but it makes a HUGE difference in how we bring solutions. With our free will we can bring an attitude of sad, defeated subordination or we can bring an attitude of 'well, what can I really do here?' You can feel the difference in your body chemistry and emotional outlook.

 
This evening let's set an intention to develop our attitudes. May we face our lives with openness, willingness, and curiosity. We already set intentions to find a good parking space, right? Let's expand on that.

With blessings for all,

Richard 

For Sunday October 6th, 2024

Hello, beautiful people. Here's a familiar human foible: A situation occurs in which we're not sure what the outcome will be. We react with fear, which is uncomfortable. So, we replace fear with anger. Focusing anger on the situation gives us the illusion of power and purpose. Anger, power, and purpose gives us something to do, which is far more emotionally comfortable than the unknowns of fear. Anger, power, and purpose driven by fear creates chaos – which then drives fear, anger, power, and purpose to recycle again. If not interrupted, it is endless.

On the other hand, we know love casts out fear. The question is, how do we love in the original situation?

 
The answer to that varies based upon the individuals involved, the actual situation, and perhaps a degree of intuitive timing. You may not know anything until it's time to know it. The key is in the searching.

May we sit this evening being open to what may come from honest searching, for the trust that answers will come, and for the courage to follow through.

Bless you all for who you are,

Richard

Special Prayer Request

Hello all, looking at the destruction of Hurricane Helene prompts a prayer for all those affected. May God's will be done.

Richard

For Sunday September, 29th,

Hello and welcome to official fall. We've all had experience with 'monkey mind' during meditation. It's typically seen as an interruption. But, what if there's something we can learn from it? The monkey mind comes from us. Observing it tells us about ourselves in a very accurate way, because it is us. It is of our mind.

So how do we make best use of monkey mind? We observe it – without comment. Our monkey mind is no more an interruption of us than our limbs are an interruption of our bodies. The trick is to simply observe. Watch it happen, then let it pass of it's own. That can be the difficult part.

We're so accustomed to commenting, judging, analyzing, toying with in a million ways, that to just observe has become the difficult part.

May we sit this evening just watching without comment. Observe what is. Be with whatever comes. If a larger perspective becomes apparent, observe that too.

Submitted with love,

Richard

For Sunday September 22nd, 2024

Hello beautiful people. It's always a treat for me when Sundays land on the 22nd. Tom Sawyer considered that to be an important vibration number. 

And, in keeping with the process of the transformation of the Earth and humanity, let's remember that changes can be difficult. We can each recall a time when we've personally rejected a change before embracing it. It looks like that's what's happening now.

 
There are 56 armed conflicts, involving 90 different countries, happening around the Big Blue Marble right now – more than at any other time since WWII. But, there are also more groups of people working toward peace.

We are promised a beautiful conclusion. We are not promised an easy path.

 
May we sit this evening giving energy to this ongoing process – in accordance with Divine will.

 
Reverently submitted,

Richard 

For Sunday September 14th, 2024

Hello gracious and good people. When we look at the world we typically view it from an individual standpoint, our personal past, and whatever happens which affects us now. Or, we see it as something which is happening 'over there' to other people.

However, if it's true that we are all One, then our individuated view of the world is incomplete.

May we sit Sunday evening with the awareness that nothing happens in separation. We are WE, all of One humanity. An injury to one person is an injury to the human race. The contentment and satisfaction of anyone is a positive for all. May we realize the flow of the human experience, and our place in it.

Blessings, and thank you for who you are,

Richard 

For Sunday September 8th, 2024

Hello and welcome once again. We have all been conditioned by our upbringing; our families, our religions, our politics, our financial positions, our biases and prejudices, even the shape and health of our bodies. And here we are, caught up in this huge, massive, ever flowing, and tremendously powerful river of life. Our conditioning is so small, narrow, and shallow in comparison to all that life is, yet our conditioning is what we respond to life from.

Can we drop all that? Are we capable of leaving all of our conditioning behind and seeing life anew? If not we will remain trapped within our familiar walls of conditioning, and miss the grand and beautiful expanse of what life truly is.

Let us sit this evening without blinders on our experiences. Let us be open to see all that is. Let us truly and simply BE.

With love for all,

Richard 

For Sunday September 1st, 2024

Gracious greetings to all. So far the spiritual transformation of humanity has not been simple. Those who cling to personal desires of lust and power are clinging tightly. Those who foresee a more spiritual, heart-centered vision may experience a sense of frustration because of that.

The fact is that the majority of humanity learns slowly, often by way of difficulties. This is their chosen path according to their free will. An integral part of living more spiritually is to honor the paths of others.

So, this Sunday evening, may we sit as observers. May our own personal frailties be like gusts of wind which rise up then pass on by, un-grasped at. May we find an inner peace which allows all to have their chosen paths.

Reverently submitted,

Richard

For Sunday August 25th, 2024

Hello again, life giving people. In general, it may be that the major problems in society today come from a lack of connection with each other. People all too easily go through check-out lines on auto-pilot, as does the cashier. We tend to stare at impersonal phones while collecting impersonal information. We often side-line our own creative expressions in favor of watching and sharing the work of others. The deep beauty of life is displaced by a search for empty activities.

Our lack of fulfilling, authentic, heart-felt connections leaves room for anxieties and fears to creep in, diluting the value of our days.

May we sit this evening aware of our human need for connection. May we find the inspiration to reach out in even the tiniest ways to those we encounter in life. May the simple basic beauty of our hearts show through our daily lives.

Reverently submitted,

Richard

For Sunday August 18th, 2024

Hello beautiful people. The thing is, during meditation, to become aware of what our brain is doing. We all know what 'monkey mind' is and often chide ourselves about it, or become frustrated about it, or waste our energy in any other variation of struggle and worry over it. But, when we look at the human condition we may realize that chiding and frustration are a dangerous waste of time and effort.

There's too much at stake and there is so much available to us when we drop it.

May we sit this evening with the awareness of what our minds are doing. May we see what is needed. May we drop the wasted efforts and plunge in.

Bless you all for all you do,

Richard

For Sunday August 11th, 2024

Hello and gracious greetings to all. As we know, no one Is promised a perfect life. We come into this Earthly form with a willingness to accept the many whims of nature and the chaos of life – in order to love and be loved in return.

We don't know how long we've got, nor how long our loved ones will have. So, we just have to 'go for it', knowing the love we create will far outlast our Earthly forms.

 
May we sit this evening aware of the love we've already created, and knowing there's more to come from our willing hearts.

Thank you and bless you all,

Richard