The Rapture

Since I am writing this and you are reading it, it would appear that either: 1) The Rapture of May 21, 2011 did not occur; 2) It happened and apparently no one on earth made the cut; or, 3) We all were taken and – get ready – this IS Heaven!

When Jesus told us “the kingdom of heaven is within” and “no one knows the hour” I believe we can take the Great Teacher at face value. It is far more important to live our life by being truly present in the moment and much less important to know when or if this or that can or will occur.

Losing sleep over what may or will happen in the future leads to anxiety. No one can accurately predict the future since, as the scripture says, “Time and unforeseen occurrences befall us all.”

“This or something better” is what I often add when I give a spiritual mind treatment (or affirmative prayer) for myself or others. I am very clear on the reasons why the words are being spoken. I’m confident that I am one with all that there is, that there is within me the Knower that knows, and that the result is already a complete idea in the Mind of God.

But I also know that the Universe often has a far bigger and better idea for me than I can perceive. Why limit the unlimited? As Rev. Helen Street used to say, “You’re dealing with Divine Intelligence – not ‘Big Dummy in the Sky!’” We don’t have to tell God or the Universe how to accomplish our desires. Neither do we need to worry about when things will happen or abandon our responsibilities in a belief that God or some force outside ourselves will do everything for us.

What we can do is be busy about our work, clarifying our desires, making sure that our actions are in line with what we want, and leave the final outcome alone to unfold. If we don’t like the results we can choose again.

Life is immortal, but the time we spend in this body, at this point in the history of humankind is finite. Whether that is 40 years, 80 years or 120 years remains to be seen. What is important is that we appreciate every day we have as a glorious opportunity to better our planet, each other and ourselves. Our success in having a life truly worth living will bless everyone around us.

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry

Methodical Madness

I am often asked how I keep all the different parts of my life organized. Granted, my Droid has become indispensable, but there is another reason. I see my life and all that I do, both at the Center and away from it, as One.

There was a time when I was a man of many masks – not faces, masks. I was a completely different person depending on where I was and with whom. Sure, I still have what my partners call my “flight attendant voice” at times, but with me pretty much what you see is what you get.

The Center is the base of operations for my businesses and services, plus I am still employed full-time. Add to that many hours as a board member and singer for our men’s chorus and that makes for a very full schedule. My partners are equally busy in their own careers and also serve on the board and sing in the chorus. We still make time for each other. How?

Methodical madness! I heard that term on NPR the other day referring to someone who has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Like the person with dementia who realizes there are some things she’s always wanted to forget and now can, I have learned to enjoy the madness of my tendency toward ADD to accomplish more than I ever thought possible.

My partners tell me that what I really suffer from is “AD..OSO,” or “Attention Deficit….OH! SHINY OBJECT!” Kidding aside I do not suffer from ADD or anything else. I am not willing to claim it. Remember in the Bible when God brought the animals to Adam? Scripture says that Adam named them and he received dominion over them. It is a wonderful metaphysical lesson: Name it and it’s yours.

I call it a “tendency toward ADD” and not my my ADD. When we own a disease, person or situation it can become a noose around our neck. Recognizing the areas in our lives that are out of balance and taking responsibility for our situation is one thing; allowing something to run or ruin our life is another thing entirely.

Is there something in your life that is stopping you from living life to the fullest? If so, ask yourself why you continue to put up with it, work around it, or allow it to force you to live a life that is less than stellar. I love to see people make decisions to thinking differently about physical or psychological issues. We can affect change and create lives truly worth living instead of “just getting by.”

Let me help you with some problem that’s been nagging you for longer than you’d like! Call, email, or make an appointment to spend some time together to get to the bottom of the problem and move beyond! We are all One Mind – within YOU is the Knower that knows the answer to any challenge you face.

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry

Catching Up!

I’m sending this out as an update on activities at the Center, but this is also an apology for the way my Blog has "disappeared". So....I'm sorry about the blog! Several people have told me they've missed the blog (appreciated!) and I promise to be more consistent with that in the future. 'Nuff said?

I've spent a tremendous amount of time recently getting ready for the opening of the Center this month. You'd think that after 20 years in some form of ministry and 25 years as a massage therapist this would be a piece of cake, simply moving what I have been doing out of my home all this time across the river into a new office suite. It isn't!

There seems to be an ongoing and endless list of items to move into or purchase for the Center. I've had donations of furniture that I've not been able to obtain due to a large enough vehicle. Getting our schedules together to get the furniture I do have has not happened...yet! So the look of the Center is evolving rather than being a "POP - It's CREATED!" event - hmmm....kinda like life, huh?

New business cards for the Center and my various types of work have been received or on order, press releases were sent in March, and advertising is beginning to be seen throughout the community. Tuesday classes in April have concluded and produced lively discussions! I have no classes planned for May or June, but I’ve been asked to consider starting an ongoing Wednesday evening group. This would be a time to check in, a short talk on a current topic and then a guided meditation. Let me know if that’s something in which you might be interested!

This month has seen an increase in counseling and massage clients, a local magazine has expressed interest in running an article on the Center and my work, and I've been humbled by referrals, often from channels I'd not even considered. April begins a busy six-month period of weddings to perform. I have the joy of working with a diverse and exciting group of couples from many religious and spiritual backgrounds. We'll be breaking glasses, lighting candles, tying knots, reciting vows and jumping a broom or two.

The foundation that keeps me centered is my wonderful family, Paul and Kevin, who support me through all my crazy, eclectic life, all the while running their own successful careers and interests. I thank my guys often, but probably not nearly enough I'm sure. Who supports you? Have you thanked them recently? Take a moment today to do that today!

I hope my experience of life and the way I use the principles of New Thought can help you in your life. I've screwed up a lot in my life, continue to do things I know don't work, but I love the process of life (most of the time....) and hope that both my successes AND foibles can be of help to you. I care very much about what's going on in your life, so please let me hear back from you. If you contact me for support I will know the Truth about you: That you are the only person like you that gets to express God or Universal Power the way you do. Be yourself. Be authentic. And be unique. To do any less, robs us of your gift.

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

I Can't Wait For Monday!

How many times do we hear THAT?!? Not often. It seems the majority of the people around us, or perhaps we ourselves, are not happy with what we do for a living. Are you?

It is possible to expand the “love month” scope of February from romantic involvements to include the love we have in other areas of our life, such as career. Some people are happy with what they do for a living, but many are not. The latter refer to their jobs as “the grind” or a prison. Most of the time there is one major reason why people are dissatisfied with their work: It doesn’t express who they are.

Before the industrial revolution our careers more aptly placed us in a category that not only described what people did but also situated them in a sector of society. It defined what socioeconomic circles in which people moved and lived. The other side of that system is that it forced young people into what was expected of them, not into a career that expressed who they were. Girls did not have many options at all. Boys had more opportunities, but can you imagine being the son of the village accountant with no interest or aptitude in math? In America today, it seems to be less about what we do and more about how much money we make doing it, regardless of the cost to our health, our families or our spirit.

You may fall into the category as do so many and dread going to work. Or, perhaps you have developed your heart’s desire or a hobby into a prosperous career. You may, like me, have multiple careers that fulfill your need for self expression and financial support. One way to look at a job we don’t like is to recognize that the money we receive from it may allow us to pursue other activities out of which we reap a myriad of benefits. In other words, your job may not be what you really want to do in life, but it gives you the means to pursue a hobby or leisure activity you enjoy. That can make a monotonous job more palatable.

There is a law in metaphysics called the Law of Reciprocity. It speaks to the principle that for every action there is a reciprocal reaction. In the case of the person who hates their job, the more s/he curses the position the worse the situation will get. If you are not blessed with the career of your dreams, why not try “blessing yourself out” of it, rather than have an ongoing litany of why it’s so awful? You will get results – so be cautious of what you ask for!

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry

The Love Month

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Thanks to mass marketing wanting us to believe everyone should be in a fairy tale relationship, February 14 can mean expectations from those in relationships and gloom for singles.

Someone told me that Valentine’s Day doesn’t matter because “it is just a made-up holiday”. Actually, that can be said for all holidays. Our cultures have decided we need to acknowledge significant times in our lives so we make up a special day for it. The word “holiday” comes from a root term meaning of “holy day”. If we truly want to honor our relationships (romantic or otherwise) every day should be a holy day/holiday.

Valentine’s Day, made up, commercial or otherwise, is a fact that seems here to stay. We can choose to celebrate it, ignore it, or allow it to ruin our day, week or month. “It” doesn’t do anything to us. As with everything else in life, we have a choice whether to affect our experience through empowered thinking or be at the effect of the situation.

If we are single this is not the time to run out and find the flavor of the month date to try to make some poor sod into the romantic valentine about which we dream. If our committed relationship is not where we want it to be, then take action now to clarify the union. Celebrating a love holiday as if all is wonderful when the partners are not happy is like whipped cream on top of garbage. The outer appearance looks fine for a day, but once the glare of reality and heat of conflict returns the whipped cream sours and melts into the strife we had before February 14.

All of our relationships are sacred, though we often fail to treat them that way. In the movie Same Time Next Year the woman says that she stays married to her husband because of so many shared memories. She says it’s comfortable. We never hear if her husband feels the same way. Are they really in love, or just too lazy or apathetic to create the life they really want?

Communication is the most important factor in any relationship because everything else follows in line after concise and clear communication. “He should know what I’m thinking” is ridiculous. Half the time we don’t seem to know what we want ourselves. How the heck are others supposed to figure it out! An Ashleigh Brilliant card I love says, “I need a map of your mind with the dangerous areas noted in red.” Wouldn’t THAT be helpful!

Resolve to have the happiest Valentine’s Day ever. It might be with the one you love more than anyone. It might be with the family unit you’ve come to call your own. It might be with the relationship you have with yourself, Nature or your Higher Power. Whatever it is for you, rejoice in it, love it and commit to that kind of deep and enduring integrity all year long.

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry

Beauty or Danger - It's Our Choice

It’s 5:45am on Tuesday, February 2, and I just walked outside onto our front porch after finishing my meditation. Rain is lightly falling on the half-inch of ice covering about three inches of snow in our front yard. The mini-dozer that removes snow across the street in the parking lot is gone and the only sound is the tinkling of invisible raindrops dancing on the ice-covered snow.

The tree in the front yard looks like an ice sculpture, with each bare branch weighed down by the frozen water, icicles soundlessly dripping down toward the garden. There is no other noise except the soft rain. No cars. No trains. No voices. Peace.

I grew up in a trailer park. It was not a “mobile home estate”. It was just a trailer park. We lived in a two-bedroom, 50 foot long by 10 foot wide Nashua, about ten or twelve feet from our neighbors. One of my most comforting childhood memories is lying there in bed listening to the rain on the metal roof. It didn’t rain often in southern California, but even the slightest rain sounded like ball bearings being dropped on the top of the trailer. It never frightened me; it was if the Universe was lulling me to sleep, soothing me.

I was reminded of that this morning as I looked out from the porch, two cats just inside the storm door wondering what this human was doing outside in the cold wearing only his pajamas and house slippers. The peace. The comfort. The quiet.

That’s when I notice the asphalt, which was so shiny. Soon neighbors would be getting ready to leave for work, school busses would be on the road in spite of a delayed start to the school day, and inevitably someone driving would have his or her mind on something other than slippery roads. Such beauty, yet such danger. Or was it?

When I moved to the northeast United States I was given one word of advice about driving on ice: DON’T! Life is like that, too. There are some things in life we really have no business doing. It’s not the same for each of us. I can have a glass of wine with dinner if I choose; a person who is a newly-recovering alcoholic may not be able to be in the same room with an unopened bottle. It is a different experience of danger brought about through our circumstances.

Where is there danger in your life that you could eliminate? Dieting with a full bowl of M’n’Ms in the living room by the chair your sit in to watch TV? Probably not a wise move. Trying to establish a more intimate relationship with your spouse or lover, but spending more time watching porn online than cuddling together? Not so much. Wanting to look our best, but haven’t flossed in weeks? You get the picture.

The Universe is not a dangerous place. It is a place of love, peace and wonderment, just like the ice portrait outside our house right now. We set ourselves up for danger by placing ourselves in situations in which we should not, and often need not, be. Choose just one thing this week that you feel is dangerous to you – just one. We don’t need danger for excitement. We can find excitement in the fullness of Life, the beauty of Nature, and the touch of a loved one.

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry

What Resolution?

So did you make any New Year’s resolutions? How’s that working out for you?

I avoid the gym every year for the first three weeks of January. I work out most of the time at home anyway so it’s no big deal, but gyms are notoriously crowded for during this time of the year because everyone is going hog wild to absolve themselves of their guilt-ridden epicurean conduct over the previous month. A resolution to get back to the gym is usually in that mix. Never lasts more than a couple of weeks for those folks.

In fact, I seldom see many people following through on their New Year’s resolutions. It’s probably because people make them because they think they “should.” Doing something only because we think we “should” isn’t much of a motivator and it usually feels pretty crappy. I no longer make New Year’s resolutions. I haven’t for a number of years. There are a couple of reasons for that.

I believe strongly in goal-setting, so that’s not one of the reasons. I work on at least ten goals at a time – ten top things or conditions I want to manifest in my life. Each time I achieve one I replace it with one I have yet to attain. I just don’t believe the guilt of the holidays or remorse over what I didn’t accomplish over the past year is any motivating force for change.

I do aspire to better my life and myself as a person – not just once a year, but every day. January 1 really isn’t all that significant to me as a turning point. A new calendar, sure; a need to make sure I’m careful when I write a check because of the new year, but other than that what’s the big deal? Is there really much difference between December 31 and January 1? Not really.

I celebrate change “officially” twice a year: May 23 and October 31/November 1. May 23 is my birthday, so I take the time to reflect on my life, take stock of myself, see where I can improve and celebrate my achievements. October 31/November 1 is the end/beginning of the earth or pagan year. It is the time of the year when the world is becoming darker, a time for reflection, release and preparing for the rebirth of spring. I like aligning myself with the earth and nature. It makes me feel more a part of our planet.

I don’t care if you create a goal every day or just make a resolution on New Years. If you did make some resolutions, well, good for you! It shows you care enough about yourself to affect a change in your life. That’s excellent. I have found, however, that making decisions to change based on information and decisiveness tend to last a lot longer than those based on reaction, fear and group pressure.

Take time at least once a day to take stock of your life. What’s working and what’s not? What do you want to get rid of and what do you want to acknowledge as a blessing? By doing this, resolutions will not be a once- or twice-a-year event – it will be the ongoing change that will help you create a life worth living.

In Spirit, Truth and Playfulness,

Terry