"Burning Bowl"

As we look at the ending of 2009, one of the ways
we can say "good by" is to do a burning bowl
ceremony as an individual or in a group setting.

First, we begin with a time of quiet meditation to
bring clarity to what we want to do during this
time. Then, we make a list of everything we would
like to let go of that we don't want to carry with
us into the New Year (ie.anger, bitterness, thoughts
or feelings that are holding us back). Then we take
the list and burn it, if possible.

Second, we write a letter to God about what we
would like to be, to do, and to accomplish in this
year.

Third, we listen, and then on the opposite side of
the letter to God, we write out our response from
God.

Fourth, seal the letter in an envelope, and put it
away for at least six months, and then read it.

Let Us Pray: Living, loving Presence, we say good
by to 2009, and are grateful for blessings and for
times of growth and strengthening. We look forward
to 2010 knowing that You will be Present in it with
us. Thank You, God. Amen.

Happy New Year!Thank you for your love and support.
We welcome your comments, and are grateful also for
opportunities to pray with you.
Peace and love,
Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: The Babe"

Luke 2:7 "And she gave birth to her
firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of
cloth, and laid him in a manger, because
there was no place for them in the inn."

We continue with the familiar Christmas
story on this Cristmas Day. Together we
can picture Mary, Joseph, and the baby
in their humble stable surrounded by the
animals kept there.

As we gaze into the face of the baby we
see our own reflection mirrored there,
for Christmas is a reminder to us of the
birth of the Christ in us.

Let Us Pray:
We are grateful to know, Sweet Spirit,
that Christmas is not just the history
of something that happened a long time
ago. It is the celebration of the birth
of the Christ in each one of us. Thank
You, God. Thank You, God. Amen

Merry Christmas to you and your loved
ones. Thank you for your love and
support.


Peace,love, and joy,

Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: Mary"

Luke 1:38 "Then Mary said, 'Here am I, the
servant of the Lord; let it be with me
according to your word.'"

This part of the Christmas story tells us
about the willingness of Mary as she heard
the message of the angel. What she was told
would change her life drastically. She, an
unmarried woman, a virgin, was to give birth
to a baby. Because of the beliefs and
customs of the time, Mary could have been
cast out from her family and friends for the
rest of her life, but Mary's response to the
message was, "let it be with me according to
your word." Mary was willing.

This causes me to pause, and contemplate for
myself: Am I willing? Am I willing to live
my life differently than I have in the past?
Am I willing to release the need to complain
about things, because they aren't what I
want? Am I willing to give love instead of
hatred to people that don't act the way I
want? Am I willing to release beliefs of
not enough, and to trust the abundance of the
Universe? Am I willing to be and to do what
it takes to raise the consciousness of our
planet?

These are some of my questions, and I invite
you to take time on this Christmas Eve to
pause and contemplate your own willingness,
your own questions.

Let Us Pray:
Living, loving Presence, we pause during
this sacred time to reflect on our lives. As
we spend this time with You, we surrender to
Your guidance for the right questions that
apply to us and our own willingness. We
take this time to listen. We love You, and
are grateful for Your activity always at
work in and through us. Amen.


We feel so blessed to be able to share our
thoughts about Christmas, and how it
applies to our lives today. Thank you for
your love and support.


Peace,love, and joy,

Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: Shepherds"

"In that region there were shepherds living in
the fields, keeping watch over their flock by
night." Luke 2:8

Shepherds faithfully kept watch over their
sheep. They didn't just work in the daytime
or when the sun was shining. They were caring
for their sheep all of the time. The shepherds
made sure there was grass and water for their
flocks; they kept away prey; and they took
care of all of the needs of the sheep.

"By night," metaphysically means in the dark
times when circumstances are not always easy.

Like the shepherds, we are called to be
faithful, no matter what is going on with us.

In the times of light, when things seem to be
going well, we are called to be faithful in
our spiritual practices. We communicate with
Spirit through prayer and meditation, and we
listen to that still small voice of Spirit
that is within us.

As we are faithful in the times of light,
then when we have the times of night, we are
able to rely upon Spirit for our guidance.
We continue in our spiritual practices,
because we have heard the voice of Spirit
within us, and we have learned to trust it.

Then, like the shepherds, we receive the
message that brings light to our darkness.
We realize that the Christ is born anew in
us today. We are able to give thanks for
the times of darkness, as well as for the
times of light.

."...and all who heard it were amazed at what
the shepherds told them." Luke 2:17


Let Us Pray:
We open ourselves up to You, Sweet Spirit.
Our desire is to be receptive to Your
guidance in every circumstance, and we are
willing to do what is ours to do. Thank You
for Your faithful activity in us. Amen.

We are glad to be here to support you with
prayer and/or spiritual counseling. Let us
hear from you.

Peace and love,

Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: Nazareth to Bethlehem"

"Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Judea, to the city of Bethlehem...He
went to be registered with Mary..." Luke 2:4,5

Their journey involved a trip of approximately
80 miles, and would probably have taken about a
week. Tradition states Mary rode a donkey and
was at the end of her pregnancy, and that Joseph
was elderly, and probably walked. Their journey
involved hardships and dangers as they left their
families and place of comfort to be obedient to
what they were supposed to do.

Metaphysically we, too, are on a journey. What is
this journey? It is a journey that often means
leaving the comfort of doing things as we have
always done them, and sometimes even leaving people
that have been close to us as they participate in
their own journeys. We don't always know where
the journey will take us or what it will look like,
and so, sometimes that makes it feel dangerous. But,
we need to obey the call. Our desire is to give
birth to, to know, the Christ within us in a deeper
way. This calls us to live our lives differently
than we have before as we express from the
awareness of the Christ.

This journey eventually leads us to peace, love,
and joy, and it is well worth the risk of being
willing to step away from comfort into the unknown.
Are you willing to begin?

Let Us Pray:
Sweet holy Spirit, we love You, and we trust You as
we begin this journey to give birth to a greater
awareness of the Christ within. We know You are
with us every step of the way, and we are grateful.
Thank You. We pray this in the name and nature of
the living Christ Spirit that indwells us all.
Amen.


We are grateful for your love and support, and
would love to support you on your journey with
prayer and/or spiritual counselling.

Peace,love, and joy on your journey,

Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: King Herod"

In the Christmas story in the book of
Matthew, it speaks of wise men following a
star. They stop in Jerusalem to get
directions. King Herod hears about this and
tells them to return to him, so that he can
also go and worship the child. Later, King
Herod has babies put to death so that one
of these children can not grow up to take
over as ruler of the kingdom.

When we look at Bible stories from a
metaphysical view point, we don't take the
story literally. We strive to see how the
story is taking place within ourselves, so
we might learn from it.

King Herod represents the ego in us. The ego
does not like change, and feels threatened
by it. The ego will do its best to keep
things at a status quo, and so we may have
thoughts such as, "I can't do that, I don't
have enough education" or "I'm too old."
These thoughts are the ego resisting any
kind of change.

When these "King Herod" thoughts come, first
of all we must recognize them for what they
are, and then we must say, "No,I know that
is not true of me. I can do and be all I am
guided to do or be."

Let Us Pray:
Living, loving, Presence, we are open to
Your guidance. When we hear thoughts that
tell us we cannot follow Your guidance, we
tell them "no." We love You and trust that
You desire the highest and best for us. We
are open to being all we can be, and we are
open to acting from Your guidance. Thank
You. Amen.

We would love to support you on your journey
with prayer and/ or spiritual counseling.

Thank you for your love and support.

Love,
Sandy

"Joy"

Today we light the 4th Advent candle for "Joy."
As we celebrate the awareness of the birth of the
Christ in us, we are filled with joy.

Jesus came to show us that each one of us has the
Christ in us. He lived from the full knowledge of
the Christ in him. He was the one who showed us
the way as he pointed to our divinity.

"Christ in you, the hope of glory." Colossians 1:27.
May we remember the birth of the Christ in us, and
share our joy as we celebrate together this
Christmas.

Let us pray:
Our hearts are filled with joy that comes from the
knowledge of Your Presence within us, Sweet Spirit.
We are grateful that Your Presence is always with
us. May we live from the knowledge of the Christ in
us. Thank You, God. Amen

We welcome your comments, and are grateful also for
opportunities to pray with you. Thank you for your
love and support.

Peace,love, and joy,
Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: Gifts"

Gifts spread under the Christmas tree in all
sizes and shapes. Other gifts peaking out of
stockings hung on the fireplace. Plates of
cookies, fudge, candy, and nutbread wrapped
in bright cellophane shared with family,
friends, and neighbors.

There are gifts that God has given us, and the
writer of 2Timothy 1:6 was reminding us "...to
rekindle the gift of God that is within
you..."

The gifts God has given us are not wrapped in
bright paper, but are "within." Examples of
these gifts are teaching, administering,
pastoring, encouraging, serving.

What is your gift that is within? "Rekindling
the gift" means to put it to use. Being open
to use your gift is a gift to yourself, and
to our world.

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Holy Spirit we are grateful that we have
been given so much. We are willing to give
our gifts that You have given to us, so that
we might be a blessing.Thank You, God. Amen.

Thank you for the gift that you are to us. We
feel so blessed.

Love,
Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: Colors"

At Christmastime we see all kinds of different
colors: red, green, white, gold, blue, and the
list goes on. Colors that are reflected in
wrappings, lights, decorations, and clothing.
The colors bring brilliance and magic to our
celebration.

The colors remind me of all the different
people that make up our world, and how each
one brings a different texture and flavor to
our experiences. As we accept others and what
they bring to our lives, we are enriched.

Let Us Pray:
Living, loving Presence, we are grateful for
each person in our world. Each one is Your
child, and each one brings blessings to us as
we love and accept them for who they are.
Thank You, God. Amen.

We are enriched by you, and are grateful for
your love and support.

Love,
Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas: Light"

During the season of Christmas we see light
expressed in so many different ways. Homes
are lit up with lights on the outside, trees
are wrapped with lights, and candles burn
on tables and mantlepieces.

Light chases away the darkness, and light
can also illuminate things in a different
way then we have noticed before.

As we spend time in prayer and meditation
new Light can illumine our way of seeing
our lives and the people around us.

During this Christmastime we can allow our
inner light to shine forth so that others
can see the way out of darkness. Jesus
called us to be "the light of the world."

Today let us truly be Light. How are you
willing to shine your light? A smile? A hug?
...?

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Spirit, we release anything that may
cause us to hide our light. We are willing
to shine so that we may express Your light
in our world. Thank You. Amen.

We enjoy hearing from you, and we are grateful
for your love and support.

Let your light shine,
Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas:Wreaths"

What a great gift to be able to use our
imagination to see Christmas in a different
way.

As we look at the metaphysical meaning of the
Christmas wreath, we remember the unconditional
love of God. "God is love." The Bible also
tells us that "before we ever knew him, that
God loved us."

The wreath is circular, and without beginning
or end. So is the love of God. We cannot do
anything to keep God from loving us, because
love is God's nature.

Let Us Pray:
Sweet Holy Spirit, as we go within and connect
with You, we feel Your love that surrounds and
enfolds us. You are love. We desire to express
that love. We are so grateful. Thank You. Amen.

We enjoy hearing from you, and we are grateful
for your love and support.

Love,
Sandy

"Metaphysical Christmas:Angels"

Today we continue with looking at Christmas from a
with new eyes, from a metaphysical viewpoint that
is beyond the literal.

At Christmastime we see angels everywhere. Often
they sit at the uppermost part of the Christmas
tree.

In the Christmas story, "It's a Wonderful Life,"
Clarence is an angel working toward getting his
wings. He has a message for Jimmy Stewart's
character, George Bailey,about seeing the value
George has been to his community.

Angels, metaphysically, are messengers. During
this Christmas time as we see angels we can open
ourselves to the individual message that they are
bringing to each one of us.

What is your message?

Let Us Pray?
Living, loving Presence, we open ourselves to the
message that You have for us. We desire to be all
that we can be, and we are grateful for Your
messages. Thank You. Amen.


We enjoy hearing from you, and we are grateful
for your love and support.

"Metaphysical Christmas"

"Metaphysical Christmas"
Let us take a look at some of the aspects of our
celebration of Christmas metaphysically-beyond
our outer senses. Perhaps we will see ways that
the holiday can touch us in a whole new way.

If my definitions don't fit for you, then I invite
you to come up with your own.

Bells are a symbol of happiness and joy. We hear
that ring, and they lift our spirits. It reminds
us of the joy that comes from within us as we
spend time in meditation with Spirit. That joy
that does not depend upon circumstances.

"Silver bells, its Christmastime in the city." A
familiar carol.

In our metaphysical rethinking of Christmas, we
can use the ring of bells to see our spirits
in joy and happiness from spending time with
Spirit in meditation.

Let Us Pray:
Loving Spirit, we think of the bells of Christmas,
and our Spirits are reminded of how we receive
joy from spending time in Your presence. We are
so grateful. Thank You, God. Amen.

We enjoy hearing from you, and we are grateful
for your love and support.

Let the bells ring in joy,
Sandy

"Love"

Today on this 3rd of Sunday of Advent, we light
the candle for "Love." We know that "God is
Love," and we know that Divine Love is
everywhere present in our world. There is no
place where Love is not.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts
out fear." 1John 4:18 May we see each other with
the eyes of Love, and may all the fear in our
world disappear as we love one another.

It is the time for unconditional acceptance and
regard for each other and our individual beliefs.
It is time for Love to reign supreme.

Let us pray:
We release and let go of all that is blocking us
from knowing Love. We thank You, Holy
Spirit for opening us up to the knowledge of
Divine Love that surrounds and enfolds each one
of us. We send that Love into our world Thank
You, God. Amen.

We welcome your comments, and are grateful also for
opportunities to pray with you. Thank you for your
love and support.

"Peace"

This Sunday we light the 2nd Advent candle for
"Peace." According to the Bible, people in the
time of Jesus were looking for him to bring them
peace. He was called "the Prince of Peace."

We, too, can get caught up in looking for a cure to
our turbulent lives from outer circumstances and
from a person.

True peace comes from a relationship with the
Christ Spirit that indwells each one of us. We are
able to obtain peace when we spend time in
meditation.

An affirmation that was taught by a director of
Silent Unity (a 24hr Prayer Ministry that began
over 100 years ago) states, "I am centered and
poised in the Christ Mind, and nothing can disturb
the calm peace of my soul."

Let us pray: Living, loving Presence, we are so
grateful for Your peace that comes as we spend time
with You in our inner sanctuary. Thank you for the
"peace that passes all understanding." Amen.

We welcome your comments, and are grateful also for
opportunities to pray with you. Thank you for your
love and support.

"At Zero"

In the book "Zero Limits" by Joe Vitale and
Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, PhD, Dr.Len talks about us
being at Zero, a place of pure inspiration. He
says we are either at inspiration or memory.

Inspiration is where the Divine communicates.
We listen, and then we act.

Memory is a place of suffering that often paralyzes
us and stifles creativity. We remain stuck doing
what we have always done.

To go from memory to inspiration we erase. The
Hawaiian Healing Prayer, Ho'oponopono, helps us to
erase. "I love you; I'm sorry; please forgive me;
thank You."

We have choice and it is up to us: Zero or
suffering.

Let us Pray:
Loving Presence we go within to connect with You.
Our desire is to release memory, so that we might
be totally open to Your inspiration. I love You;
I'm sorry; please forgive me; thank You. Amen.