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DAY 6 - LESSON 6
I AM VIGILANT FOR THE LIGHT
Today I am more aware of my thoughts, and I choose thoughts of the light rather than of darkness. Regardless of how attractive the thoughts of darkness may look - or how rewarding Ego says they will be - I know the difference between light and dark thoughts.
Today, I repeat the words "I am vigilant for the light" to myself as many times as possible. I choose light over darkness and love over fear. Today I am vigilant for the light, all day long.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 6
In the morning after reading the lesson, sit quietly and ask yourself whom you resent. The first person who comes to mind is the right person. Make an attempt to contact this person; talk face-to-face, call on the telephone, write, or meditate and clear the resentment.
Affirmation: I am vigilant for peace.
Remember to keep your word today.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
DAY 5 - I AM WILLING TO SEE THE LIGHT
DAY 5 - LESSON 5
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I AM WILLING TO SEE THE LIGHT
Today I am willing to see the light, which is always available to me; I allow it to come in and brighten up my day. I see it even in the darkest situations. By opening my eyes and my mind to the light, I experience joy, love, happiness, prosperity and abundance. I am open for miracles to happen. I am willing to see the light, every hour of this day.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 5
Do something special for someone special - in action, or in a kind word.
Affirmation: I know only peace inside.
Remember to keep your word today.
www.HopeandHelpCenter.org
I AM WILLING TO SEE THE LIGHT
Today I am willing to see the light, which is always available to me; I allow it to come in and brighten up my day. I see it even in the darkest situations. By opening my eyes and my mind to the light, I experience joy, love, happiness, prosperity and abundance. I am open for miracles to happen. I am willing to see the light, every hour of this day.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 5
Do something special for someone special - in action, or in a kind word.
Affirmation: I know only peace inside.
Remember to keep your word today.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Weekly Meditation for September 6th
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Weekly Meditation
by Christine White
Mark 7:24-37
From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin.
She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, 'Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.' But she answered him, 'Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.' Then he said to her, 'For saying that, you may go-the demon has left your daughter.' So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.
Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha', that is, 'Be opened.' And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, 'He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.'
The story of Jesus and the Gentile woman whose child needed healing has always filled me with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I'm offended by Jesus' initial conduct. He treats the non-Jewish woman with a severity that he has not shown to any of the others who have sought healing. On the other hand, I am filled with pride both for the woman who was able to engage the challenge posed by Jesus' saying and for Jesus who acknowledges the woman's word has overthrown his own word and has the humility to learn from her.
The socioeconomic situation that existed in the world of Jesus was that those who produced the food, Jewish peasant farmers, saw their work consumed by others. This probably caused the resentment on the part of those from Jewish villages producing goods for wealthy cities which we can see in Jesus' original reply. The use of the term "dog" was usually an insult intended to degrade those about whom it was used.
For me, the most amazing part of the story is the woman's ability to respond to Jesus' saying about dogs with a saying of equal power. Her response uses the ambiguity surrounding the term dog (she uses it to refer to a dog who is a pet and companion) to turn the demeaning metaphor to her advantage.
While it would be wrong to feed the dogs food that the children need, everyone knows that the dogs are permitted to eat what the children drop under the table. Jesus who usually overwhelms his opponents by using the ambiguity of their words against them allows a Gentile woman to do the same to him. The real miracle of this story is the overcoming of prejudice and boundaries that separate persons.
The discomfort caused by this story challenges us as a Church to examine how we treat the "other," a person who is different from us, one who comes from outside our social or ethnic group. Do we offer the same welcome to a homeless person that we do to a visiting elder?
Do we treat the poor and undereducated with the same deference that we give our pastors? I saw evidence at the 10:30 service on August 23 that some in our congregation have learned the lesson that this story offers. As she was walking from downtown with her three children trying to find our Church, a mother from the projects called the office.
Danny Gladden answered the phone and learned the family's dire straits and desire to worship with us. He asked Kathy Wallace if she would be willing to go find them and drive them to our building. Kathy did this willingly. When she came back, she asked Vickie Stricklin to help the family get settled.
Vickie served the family something to eat and drink, and then brought the mother into the sanctuary for the service and took the children to Children's Church. Danny, Kathy and Vickie have set the standard for how we are to receive visitors, not by allowing them to eat the crumbs from the ground, but rather by giving them the best of ourselves.
The challenge for you and for me is to live up to the standard set for us by Danny, Kathy and Vickie.
Weekly Meditation
by Christine White
Mark 7:24-37
From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin.
She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, 'Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.' But she answered him, 'Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.' Then he said to her, 'For saying that, you may go-the demon has left your daughter.' So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.
Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha', that is, 'Be opened.' And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, 'He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.'
The story of Jesus and the Gentile woman whose child needed healing has always filled me with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I'm offended by Jesus' initial conduct. He treats the non-Jewish woman with a severity that he has not shown to any of the others who have sought healing. On the other hand, I am filled with pride both for the woman who was able to engage the challenge posed by Jesus' saying and for Jesus who acknowledges the woman's word has overthrown his own word and has the humility to learn from her.
The socioeconomic situation that existed in the world of Jesus was that those who produced the food, Jewish peasant farmers, saw their work consumed by others. This probably caused the resentment on the part of those from Jewish villages producing goods for wealthy cities which we can see in Jesus' original reply. The use of the term "dog" was usually an insult intended to degrade those about whom it was used.
For me, the most amazing part of the story is the woman's ability to respond to Jesus' saying about dogs with a saying of equal power. Her response uses the ambiguity surrounding the term dog (she uses it to refer to a dog who is a pet and companion) to turn the demeaning metaphor to her advantage.
While it would be wrong to feed the dogs food that the children need, everyone knows that the dogs are permitted to eat what the children drop under the table. Jesus who usually overwhelms his opponents by using the ambiguity of their words against them allows a Gentile woman to do the same to him. The real miracle of this story is the overcoming of prejudice and boundaries that separate persons.
The discomfort caused by this story challenges us as a Church to examine how we treat the "other," a person who is different from us, one who comes from outside our social or ethnic group. Do we offer the same welcome to a homeless person that we do to a visiting elder?
Do we treat the poor and undereducated with the same deference that we give our pastors? I saw evidence at the 10:30 service on August 23 that some in our congregation have learned the lesson that this story offers. As she was walking from downtown with her three children trying to find our Church, a mother from the projects called the office.
Danny Gladden answered the phone and learned the family's dire straits and desire to worship with us. He asked Kathy Wallace if she would be willing to go find them and drive them to our building. Kathy did this willingly. When she came back, she asked Vickie Stricklin to help the family get settled.
Vickie served the family something to eat and drink, and then brought the mother into the sanctuary for the service and took the children to Children's Church. Danny, Kathy and Vickie have set the standard for how we are to receive visitors, not by allowing them to eat the crumbs from the ground, but rather by giving them the best of ourselves.
The challenge for you and for me is to live up to the standard set for us by Danny, Kathy and Vickie.
Day 4 - I DO NOT KNOW THE REAL MEANING OF WHAT I SEE
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DAY 4 - LESSON 4
I DO NOT KNOW THE REAL MEANING OF WHAT I SEE
Everything that I see happening around me has a meaning that I have given to it. When I am willing to let of thinking that I know the real meaning, I notice that it is much different from what I though it was. Today I realize and understand that the meaning I give to anything has nothing to do with its real purpose. I do not know the real meaning of what I see.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 4
Do something nice for yourself today. Examples: get a massage; go out for dinner;
treat yourself to something that brings you joy and peace.
Affirmation: I am surrounded by peace.
Remember to keep your word today.
Courtesy: www.EffortlessProsperity.com
DAY 4 - LESSON 4
I DO NOT KNOW THE REAL MEANING OF WHAT I SEE
Everything that I see happening around me has a meaning that I have given to it. When I am willing to let of thinking that I know the real meaning, I notice that it is much different from what I though it was. Today I realize and understand that the meaning I give to anything has nothing to do with its real purpose. I do not know the real meaning of what I see.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 4
Do something nice for yourself today. Examples: get a massage; go out for dinner;
treat yourself to something that brings you joy and peace.
Affirmation: I am surrounded by peace.
Remember to keep your word today.
Courtesy: www.EffortlessProsperity.com
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Day 3 - I am Aware of What I See
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DAY 3 - LESSON 3
I AM AWARE OF WHAT I SEE
Today I am aware of what I am looking at and what I am watching for. Am I more interested in looking at an accident and someone getting a ticket on the freeway, or do I enjoy seeing the sunlight filter through my window? Do I experience more powerful emotions watching someone fight than I do watching a child sleep? Am I interested in all the shooting and violence on the news, or do I notice people holding hands and expressing joy? When I realize that I have a choice of where and upon what I cast my gaze, I will choose to see only positive things. What I see affects my mind, and it is my mind that creates the world outside of me. Today I am aware of what I see.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 3
Give some money away - not because the recipient deserves it. Bless it. Notice how you feel.
Affirmation: I see peace everywhere.
Remember to keep your word today.
Courtesy of: www.effortlessprosperity.com
DAY 3 - LESSON 3
I AM AWARE OF WHAT I SEE
Today I am aware of what I am looking at and what I am watching for. Am I more interested in looking at an accident and someone getting a ticket on the freeway, or do I enjoy seeing the sunlight filter through my window? Do I experience more powerful emotions watching someone fight than I do watching a child sleep? Am I interested in all the shooting and violence on the news, or do I notice people holding hands and expressing joy? When I realize that I have a choice of where and upon what I cast my gaze, I will choose to see only positive things. What I see affects my mind, and it is my mind that creates the world outside of me. Today I am aware of what I see.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 3
Give some money away - not because the recipient deserves it. Bless it. Notice how you feel.
Affirmation: I see peace everywhere.
Remember to keep your word today.
Courtesy of: www.effortlessprosperity.com
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Day 2 - I NOTICE WHAT I HEAR
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DAY 2 - LESSON 2
I NOTICE WHAT I HEAR
Today I am aware of what really attracts me the most. Am I listening for miracles, peace and love, or am I listening for stories, turmoil and fear? At every moment, I can make a choice of listening to Spirit or to Ego. At every moment, I am aware of which one I am listening to, and I refuse to listen to Ego. Today I notice what I hear.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 2
Be aware of what you are listening to; be aware of whether you enjoy listening to Spirit or Ego.
Affirmation: I listen only for peace.
Remember to keep your word today.
Courtesy of: www.EffortlessProsperity.com
DAY 2 - LESSON 2
I NOTICE WHAT I HEAR
Today I am aware of what really attracts me the most. Am I listening for miracles, peace and love, or am I listening for stories, turmoil and fear? At every moment, I can make a choice of listening to Spirit or to Ego. At every moment, I am aware of which one I am listening to, and I refuse to listen to Ego. Today I notice what I hear.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 2
Be aware of what you are listening to; be aware of whether you enjoy listening to Spirit or Ego.
Affirmation: I listen only for peace.
Remember to keep your word today.
Courtesy of: www.EffortlessProsperity.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
DAY 1 " I WATCH WHAT I SAY "
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DAY 1 - LESSON 1
I WATCH WHAT I SAY
Today I am aware of all the things I say. I look at what I am saying, how much I am talking, and how much of what I am saying is making a difference in my life. Am I speaking for peace, or am I speaking for turmoil? Am I speaking to bring more joy and love, or am I speaking to bring more fear? Throughout this day, I am aware of what I am saying, and I choose to speak only words of joy, peace and love to myself and others. Today I watch what I say.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 1
Be aware of how much you keep your word today.
Affirmation: I speak only for peace
Remember to keep your word today.
courtesy of: www.effortlessprosperity.com
DAY 1 - LESSON 1
I WATCH WHAT I SAY
Today I am aware of all the things I say. I look at what I am saying, how much I am talking, and how much of what I am saying is making a difference in my life. Am I speaking for peace, or am I speaking for turmoil? Am I speaking to bring more joy and love, or am I speaking to bring more fear? Throughout this day, I am aware of what I am saying, and I choose to speak only words of joy, peace and love to myself and others. Today I watch what I say.
ASSIGNMENT FOR DAY 1
Be aware of how much you keep your word today.
Affirmation: I speak only for peace
Remember to keep your word today.
courtesy of: www.effortlessprosperity.com
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