Know when to Move Up Higher in Your Spiritual Work!

No Other Way
by Martha Smock*

Could we but see the pattern of our days,
We should discern how devious were the ways
By which we came to this, the present time,
This place in life; and we should see the climb
Our soul has made up through the years.
We should forget the hurts, the wanderings, the fears,
The wastelands of our life, and know
That we could come no other way or grow
Into our good without these steps our feet
Found hard to take, our faith found hard to meet.
The road of life winds on, and we like travelers go
From turn to turn until we come to know
The truth that life is endless and that we
Forever are inhabitants of all eternity.


Our spirit leads us all the time.

It tells us when we've saturated and exhausted a certain program
of spiritual study, and it's time to move a little higher on the spiritual
plane.

Most of us want to become complacent with a certain program we've found
works for us. However, that's not the way of the spiritual journey.


In her new book, Led by Faith, Immaculee Ilibagiza, wrote:

"It was through that struggle that I was taught one of the most
important lessons I’ve ever learned: Never take faith for granted.
Our relationship with the Lord is the most glorious love affair
we will ever experience, but like all relationships, it demands
nurturing—it requires hard work, constant attention, and deep
commitment in order to grow stronger and flourish. The renewal
of faith continues to take place in my life, and I have watched in
wonder as the people of Rwanda renew their faith in God, and as
the wounds of genocide are healed through His love.

Even in the best of times, life is challenging, and earthly concerns
can too easily interfere with our spirituality. As I stumbled
through the aftermath of the holocaust, I learned that finding
the Lord is not enough; we have to keep Him in our heart always.
We need to constantly discover God anew, trust Him in all things
great and small, and make sure that He remains part of our daily
life. We must always allow our hearts to be led by faith."

We constantly must be on the lookout for when we're to heed the call to go
further along the path and move on from a specific program or group.


How do we know?

If you find yourself stuck for several weeks, even months, on a challenge.
There is no seeming relief in sight, no matter how much time you've dedicated to
prayer and meditation, then, you must start looking closer.


When nothing is happening, good or bad, despite your best efforts, Spirit has done the equivalent of folding its hands to let you know you need to change your "diet" to connect more closely.

The folding of hands can come in the form of total, absolute intransigence in one or several areas. Everywhere you turn, you look, there is sameness, and the sameness does not feel "good" or "right."

"Come a little closer" is the whisper.


Often, to get out of the rut, you must seek out new truths. If a certain theme keeps recurring, you should become aware that you're being guided to examine this new path or program.

Leo Tolstoy: "We should not stop with the religious understanding that has been revealed to us already. We should not just stare at the light but use it to reveal new sides of the truth."



It does not mean you have to relinquish the path you've traveled so far, but
you're being asked to add to that program.

Everything works for us when we're new to a program of study. Indeed, even
with our religious practices, it is by following the tried and true that
we are able to sustain ourselves on a daily basis.

But this does not mean our search is complete.

The spiritual evolution is ever changing, ever moving, ever charging forward.
So must we.


Complacency is the mark of death of spiritual sustenance and for those who have ambitions to move closer to their truth.

Once we're here on earth, we will be asked to give up complacency for growth..if we're going to move further along than the point of entry and onto
the path.


You have to be open to Spirit and open-minded about other programs you have not yet examined, but seem inviting and seem to resonate "truth" to you.


Go look! Seek!

If it doesn't work, you always can go back to your "old" ways. Chances are, though, you won't because you'd have a raised and new consciousness.

Stay open. Listen. Learn. Grow.


Nurture your Spirit!

Namaste',

Che'
NOTE: Martha Smock is a Unity poet/writer. Her work has brought me lots of comfort and "sure steps" over the years, including recently when I rediscovered this poem.

It's All About Truth, Honesty and Love!

I was frustrated with my good friend. I told him so.
His response was not anger in return, but
comprehension and apology.

It takes a big person to interpret LOVE
in your frustration. But there are lots of Big
People, I'm discovering, in the world!

I spent Thanksgiving with a family yesterday
that has the biggest heart!

The mom's name is Patsy. Her daugher Remi.
They are awesome people!

Remi has a daughter and a son. Patsy has
Remi...then she has this other "child" and
sometimes, lots of other children...

You see what Remi and Patsy have done is to expand their
world beyond their little circumference of a family of three
or four.

They have opened up their hearts and their homes to kids
whose parents are not able to care for them for one reason
or another.



What I saw yesterday in ALL the kids, both Remi's two and the others, was that they were all cared for and loved EQUALLY!

I could not differentiate in any way, the way Remi and Patsy treated
one kid from another, whether it was their own or someone else's.

I sent them a note just a few minutes ago telling them how much
JOY I had spending my Thanksgiving Day with them!


I also told them that I know they are doing God's work and living
in his Glory because I felt it in each child's Spirit!

I'd wanted to have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day, despite whatever else
may be occurring in my life. Patsy, Remi, Clyde, Clinton, Roosevelt,
Angelica and the other kids provided that!


I felt truly blessed! I felt the JOY I sought.

I felt the same thing way when I got an e-card from my friend, whom
I'd dismissed after I'd expressed my frustration.

This brought to mind William Blake's* verse : "I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow."

This is so true about everything in life! It's All About Truth, Honesty and Love!

In order to be able to heal any situation, we must be willing to be truthful, honest and yet loving.

At the crux of every issue, there is the consciousness we put behind our action.

Are we at the time of expressing the emotion, conscious of being "LOVE" and wanting to give "LOVE" and clarity? Or are we just operating from our EGO self and trying to promote our own agenda, our own sense of worth, our own "take" on the issue?

The consciousness with which we intend a matter makes a whole lot of difference in how it is received.


Everything in LIFE is about Consciousness!

If we're conscious of being poor, despite whatever wealth we may have, then we are POOR!


If we're conscious of being rich, despite whatever else is lacking on the surface, we are THAT: We are Rich!


If we are conscious of being LOVE, despite our frustration, then we are LOVE! This gets communicated to the people involved.

More and more, I'm becoming aware of this ... in each moment ...by moment: Life is all about Consciousness!


We become that which we think about ALL the time.

Make sure that whatever you're thinking about...it reflects the TRUTH ABOUT YOU!

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).


Namaste'

Che'
NOTE: *William Blake (1757 - 1827) was a British poet, painter, engraver and mystic.

Che's Recommended Xmas Book Picks: Classics from the Spiritual Masters!

Over the years, there are books that have been my companion on this long, unending, spiritual journey. These are my top picks for anyone looking for clarity and wisdom along the way. Rather than review, I give you key excerpts from these books.



1. “Discover the Power Within You” by Eric Butterworth
Prologue: “According to an old Hindu legend, there was a time when all men were gods, but they so abused their divinity that Brahma, the chief god, decided to take it away from men and hide it where they would never again find it. Where to hide it became the big question.

When the lesser gods were called in council to consider this question, they said,” We will bury man’s divinity deep in the earth.” But Brahma said, “No… that will not do, for man will dig deep into the earth and find it.” Then they said, “Well, we will sink his divinity into the deepest ocean.” But again, Brahma replied, “No, not there, for man will learn to dive into the deepest waters, will search out the ocean bed, and will find it.”

Then the lesser gods said, ”We will take it to the top of the highest mountain and there hide it.” But again, Brahma replied, “No, for man will eventually climb every high mountain on earth. He will be sure some day to find it and take it up again for himself.” Then the lesser gods gave up and concluded, “We do not know where to hide it, for it seems there is no place on earth or in the sea that man will not eventually reach.”

Then Brahma said, “Here is what we will do with man’s divinity. We will hide it deep down in man himself, for he will never think to look for it there.” Ever since then, the legend concludes, man has been going up and down the earth, climbing, digging, diving, exploring, searching for something that is already in himself.

Two thousand years ago a man named Jesus found it and shared its secret; but in the movement that sprang up in His name, the Divinity in Man has been the best kept secret of the ages.”

Butterworth shares the secrets that Jesus shared before his message became the religion about him. This profound book will take you to a different level on your spiritual path, and I promise you will never want to travel the “road” without it!


2. “The Prosperity Secrets of the Ages” by Catherine Ponder
“In this book, I wish to share with you the secrets of one of the most successful men who has ever lived. He was a man reared in lavish abundance, who went about in fine garments, who received a royal education, who was instructed in all the secret teachings of the ancient Egyptians. His sublime strength, faith, and leadership shaped the course of the world. Historians have written that he took one of the greatest steps toward true freedom that the world has ever known. All humanity has been infinitely blessed by his unique achievements.

You can, too!

His accomplishments include author, prophet, emancipator, lawgiver, warrior, and miracle worker. He was considered a shrewd mathematician, and was the inventor of boats, engines, instruments of war, and hydraulics. He was also considered the author of Egyptian hieroglyphics. He “told off” the most powerful and dangerous political leader of his age, and then rescued some two million people from the clutches of slavery and annihilation.

The man? Moses. His success secrets? They are to be found in the first five books of the Bible. Those books are “loaded” with success attitudes that reveal the prosperity secrets of the ages. But rarely, if ever, have the writings of Moses been understood or interpreted from that standpoint.”

Taking the Book of Genesis step-by-step, Ponder shows us the major success secrets Moses used to achieve the heights he reached. “When you are tempted to misuse your power of choice and become upset by appearances of evil in your world, remember that what appears to be evil is only undeveloped good!”


3. “Wise Thoughts for Every Day” by Leo Tolstoy
From the back cover: “During the last years of his life, Leo Tolstoy kept one book invariably on his desk, read and re-read it to his family, and recommended it to his friends. This was his compendium of wise thoughts, gleaned from his wide-ranging readings in the philosophy, religion and literature of many cultures and from his own spiritual meditations. A best-seller in his lifetime, it was suppressed by the Communists and long forgotten.

Now, for the first time in English, here is the final volume of that great work, comprising Tolstoy’s own most essential ideas about spirituality and what it is to live a good life.

Designed as a daybook, Wise Thoughts for Every Day offers insights and aphorisms for every day of the year according to a cycle of thirty repeating themes, such as God, soul, faith, happiness, love, anger, and pride. Tolstoy intended his last masterpiece to help people in their life and work. At once challenging, comforting and inspiring, it is a treasure trove of wisdom and a timeless gift to be cherished by all.”

I truly have found this book to be a treasure, as I read the wisdom and insight for each day, day by day. You will too!

Have a Joyous Thanksgiving!
Namaste',

Che'

NOTE: These books are readily available from amazon.com. They'd make great stocking stuffers, too!

Walk of Humility: The Way of the Seventh-Day Adventists

To be loved, pampered and lifted up when one's spirit is low is one of the greatest gifts we, as humans, can give one to another.

I clearly remember the Saturday, many, many years ago, I ventured into a Seventh-Day Adventists' church in Mountain View, California. At that time, I was looking for answers anywhere I could find it.

I came out of that church after about three hours, feeling blessed and humbled for the experience: strangers had washed my feet and provided a love unequivocal at that time from strangers.

This is the memory that always flashes into my mind every time I think of the Seventh-Day Adventists. More recently, I visited with a Seventh-Day Adventists' church to check up on things. I felt the same level of love and support. Nothing has changed. These people are dedicated to service, serving and honoring each other and the human family overall.

Forget the Branch Davidians and other extreme groups that branched off from the Seventh-Day Adventists' church. The basic principles of the church are filled only with good intentions:

1. Preaching. A Belief in a loving God, through the message of Jesus
( Matthew 28:18-20), and believing that the Bible is God’s revelation of his Will, especially the 10 Commandments and keeping holy the seventh-day, the Sabbath.

2. Teaching. Acknowledging that development of mind and character is essential to God's redemptive plan, "we promote the growth of a mature understanding of and relationship to God, His Word, and the created universe."

3. Healing: A heavy emphasis is placed upon preservation of health and healing of the sick and affirming the “biblical emphasis on the well-being of the whole person.”



To fulfill these intentions, Seventh-Day Adventists are known for their leadership in a large number of hospitals and health-related facilities throughout the United States. Loma Linda University and its medical center, located in the same-name city in California, is the most prominently known Adventist medical facility. But throughout the world, Seventh-Day Adventists run a wide network of hospitals, clinics, and sanitariums.


One of the best-known Seventh-Day Adventists is Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins University Hospital.

In the United States Seventh-Day Adventists operate the largest Protestant educational system and is second only to that of the Roman Catholic Church. The Adventists' Church operates 7,200 schools, colleges and universities, with enrollment reaching nearly 1.5 million and employing about 75,000 teachers.

The Adventists' educational program is comprehensive, encompassing "mental, physical, social, and spiritual health" with "intellectual growth and service to humanity" its goal.

History of the Church
The Seventh-day Adventists' church is the largest of several "Adventists'" groups that arose from the Millerite movement of the 1840s. The Millerite movement was part of the wave of revivalism in the United States, known as the Second Great Awakening and originated with William Miller, a Baptist preacher from Low Hampton, New York.

Based on Daniel 8:14, Miller predicted that the Second Coming of Christ would occur on October 22, 1844. When this did not happen, many of his followers returned to their original churches. But a small group of Adventists continued to believe in this Second Coming, without making any predictions as to its date.

For about 20 years, the Adventists' movement consisted of a loosely knit group of people whose primary means of connection and interaction was through James White's periodical, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald.

The early Adventists also contemplated the question of the biblical day of rest and worship, with Joseph Bates, a sea captain, leading the group in his proposition of Sabbath-keeping. Bates introduced a tract written by Millerite Preacher Thomas M. Preble, who had been influenced by Rachel Oakes Preston, a young Seventh-Day Baptist. James White and Ellen G. White also were prominent figures at that time.

Many thought Ellen possessed the gift of prophecy because of her many visions and her overall spiritual leadership.
The first Seventh-Day Adventists' church was formally established in Battle Creek, Michigan, on May 23, 1863, with a membership of 3,500.


Through the evangelistic efforts of its ministers and laity, the church quickly grew and established a presence beyond North America during the late 1800s. The denominational headquarters were later moved from Battle Creek to Takoma Park, Maryland, where they remained until 1989, until it moved to the current headquarters in Silver Springs, Maryland.

For much of the 1800s, a majority of the Adventist leaders supported the doctrine of Arianism , which proposed that Jesus was the highest created being but was not himself God. This, along with the movement's other theological views, led most Christian denominations to judge Seventh-Day Adventists' as a cult.

In the 20th century, Seventh-Day Adventists adopted the Trinity and began to dialogue with other Protestant and eventually gained wide recognition as a Christian church.




Adventists’ Humanitarian Activities




Through the work of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), more than 4,000 people are employed to provide relief from poverty and other extreme situations around the world. For more than 50 years, the church has worked as a non-sectarian relief agency in 125 countries and areas of the world, and the United Nations’ Economic Social Council has granted General Consultative Status to the ADRA.

Adventists also are known for the creation in 1893 of The International Religious Liberty Association, which advocates freedom of religion for all people, regardless of faith. Through its State Council, adventists also work to protect religious groups from legislation that may affect their religious practices.




The Youth Department of the Adventist Church runs an organization for 10- to 17-year-old boys and girls, called Pathfinders. This is similar to the Boy Scouts of America, except that membership is open to both genders. The Pathfinders organization exposes young people to activities, such as camping, community service, personal mentorship, and skills-based education, and trains them for leadership. "Camporees" are held each year in individual Conferences, where Pathfinders from the region gather and participate in events similar to Boy Scouts' Jamborees.



"Adventurer" (ages 6-9), "Eager Beaver", and "Little Lambs" clubs are programs for younger children that feed into the Pathfinder program. Boys and girls who are older than 16 years old are eligible to become "Master Guides" (similar to Scout Master) and begin to take on leadership roles within the club.

Adventists and the Media

The Adventists' church owns and operates many publishing companies around the world. Two of the largest are the Pacific Press and Review and Herald, publishing associations located in the United States. The Review and Herald is located in Hagerstown, Maryland.


The official church magazine is the Adventist Review, which has a North American focus. It has a sister magazine (Adventist World) which has an international perspective. Another major magazine published by the church is the bimonthly Liberty magazine, which addresses issues of religious freedom.

In the last century, these media based efforts have also made use of emerging media such as radio and television. The first of these was H. M. S. Richards' radio show Voice of Prophecy, which was initially broadcast in Los Angeles in 1929. Since then Adventists have been on the forefront of media evangelism, and one program, It Is Written, founded by George Vandeman, was the first religious program to air in color on television. It also was the first major Christian ministry to utilize satellite uplink technology. Today the Hope Channel, the official television network of the church, operates six international channels, broadcasting 24 hours a day on both cable and satellite networks.




Seventh Day Adventists’ lifestyle

"Seventh-day Adventism advocates a simple, wholesome lifestyle, where people do not step on the treadmill of unbridled over-consumption, accumulation of goods, and production of waste. A reformation of lifestyle is called for, based on respect for nature, restraint in the use of the world's resources, reevaluation of one's needs, and reaffirmation of the dignity of created life."

Wholeness and health always have been a major emphasis of the Adventist church.

Adventists are known for presenting a "health message" that recommends vegetarianism and expects adherence to the kosher laws in Leviticus 11. Obedience to these laws means abstinence from pork, shellfish, and other foods proscribed as "unclean". The church discourages its members from the use of alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs. In addition, like the Mormons, some Adventists avoid coffee and other beverages containing caffeine.

The pioneers of the Adventists' church had much to do with the common acceptance of breakfast cereals into the Western diet, with the "modern commercial concept of cereal food" originating with Adventists.


John Harvey Kellogg was one of the early founders of the Adventists' health work. His development of breakfast cereals as a health food led to the founding of Kellogg's by his brother William.




In Australia, the church-owned Sanitarium Health Food Company is one of the country's leading manufacturers of health and vegetarian-related products.

In Western countries, Adventists have traditionally held socially conservative attitudes regarding dress and entertainment. These attitudes are reflected in one of the church's fundamental beliefs:
"For the Spirit to recreate in us the character of our Lord we involve ourselves only in those things which will produce Christlike purity, health, and joy in our lives. This means that our amusement and entertainment should meet the highest standards of Christian taste and beauty. While recognizing cultural differences, our dress is to be simple, modest, and neat, befitting those whose true beauty does not consist of outward adornment but in the imperishable ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit."

Accordingly, many Adventists, even in the West, are opposed to practices such as body piercing and tattoos. More conservative Adventists refrain from the wearing of jewelry altogether, including earrings and wedding bands. Traditionally Adventists dress semi-formally when attending church.

Conservative Adventists also avoid certain recreational activities, like dancing, rock music and secular theatre because they have a negative spiritual influence. Officially, the Adventist church officially opposes the practice of gambling.

The official Adventist position on abortion is that "abortions for reasons of birth control, gender selection, or convenience are not condoned by the Church." But women who face exceptional circumstances that present serious moral or medical dilemmas, such as significant threats to the pregnant woman's life or health, severe congenital defects in the fetus, and pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, are able to make their own decisions about abortion.

Adventists do not perform same-sex marriages and homosexual men cannot be ordained. An extramarital affair is one of the sanctioned grounds for a divorce, although reconciliation is encouraged whenever possible. Adventists believe in and encourage abstinence, for both men and women, before marriage.

Seventh-Day Practices and Services

Adventists usually practice communion four times a year. The communion is an open service that is available to members and Christian non-members. It commences with a foot washing ceremony, known as the "Ordinance of Humility", based on the Gospel account of John 13. The Ordinance of Humility is meant to symbolize Christ's washing of his disciples' feet at the Last Supper and remind participants of the need to humbly serve one another.



Participants segregate by gender to separate rooms to conduct this ritual, although some congregations allow married couples to perform the ordinance on each other and families are often encouraged to participate together. After its completion, participants return to the main sanctuary for consumption of the Lord's Supper, which consists of unleavened bread and unfermented grape juice.

In order to keep the Sabbath holy, Adventists abstain from secular work and other non-essential business on Saturday. They will also usually refrain from purely secular forms of recreation, such as competitive sport and watching non-religious programs on television. However, nature walks, family-oriented activities, charitable work and other activities that are compassionate in nature are considered acceptable.




Much of Friday might be spent in preparation for the Sabbath; for example, preparing meals and tidying homes. Some Adventists gather for Friday evening worship to welcome in the Sabbath, a practice often known as Vespers.

Saturday afternoon activities vary widely depending on the cultural, ethnic and social background. In some churches, members and visitors will participate in a fellowship, or potluck, lunch.

The major weekly worship service occurs on Saturday.

I am privileged to have been witnessed,
been included in and blessed by these Saturday activities.

Namaste’,

Che’

NOTE: For more information on the Seventh-Day Adventist Church go to: http://www.adventist.org. Next month, we'll take a look at the Jehovah Witnesses.