grace {illustrated}

It’s Day Three!

Are you beginning to notice more music? Less noise?

Trust me, Friend, it just gets better & better

 as you

Spiritually Resolve

to

Practice

the

Presence

of

God

!

Ready to tune into the melody?

Let’s begin.

Today’s Practice

In this sacred moment of time.

This precious moment called now

it is so easy to recognize that God. Good. is all there is.

God is in around and through me!

God is in, around and through everything and everyone!

I am tuned into this Divine Essence of all.

 God and I are One

&

In this Oneness

I hear God speak.

In this Oneness

I hear God direct.

In this Oneness

the noise dissipates.

God creates

an open channel of expression through me.

I allow God’s voice to be heard.

I allow God’s expression to come forth.

I am open to receive.

{Be still & know, my friend. Right where you are God is. Relax. Receive.}

I give thanks,

for this infinite gift of Oneness that is my Truth of Being.

I give thanks for the gift of Being this open channel of expression for Spirit.

I let go of my thoughts  and allow God thoughts to be heard.

To be expressed through me.

It is with joy that I accept this Oneness with God.

It is with joy that I expand this awareness of God within me right now.

I let go and let God

and so it is.

Are you Practicing this Presence throughout your day?

Tuning into the divine circuit that provides all?

You must, friend, if your personal resolve is to experience the life of Grace.

It is only through the Practice of the Presence of God that Grace is Known.

Spiritual Truth

My dear, life long friend, Deb A., who I divinely met in “Mothers Mornings Out” in 1985,

 emailed me yesterday telling me how parallel our journey is 

to the

Bible Study on the book of James that she is participating in.

In this spirit of Oneness I encourage you to read the Epistle of James;

the passage I have chosen for us to reflect upon is in the 4th chapter, the 8th verse:

“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you”

*

Parallel? I think so!

*

As you take time to “draw nigh to God”, to meditate upon this passage,

I invite you to open your hearts to the awareness of God’s Presence.

Do you have to “call” that Presence to you?

Is it somewhere out there or is it nigh always?

Reflect upon the true meaning of this.

*

In Practice

In this complete peace that is yours right now

journal about your feelings:  the thoughts, the songs, the verses,

the words that came forth

as you chose to be in this glorious state of oneness with God.

*

{Remember, this is the state of Grace: infinitely available to you!}

*

How is this time that you are taking for God showing up in your life?

What changes are you noticing?

Reflect upon  the question asked in the beginning:

is there less noise?  More melody?

Is this Grace?

How can you abide in this sweet essence all the day long?

*

My Story

Do you know what happens to me when I do not take the time to begin my day becoming “nigh to God?”

When I do not choose to  literally “feel” the connection,

the Omnipresence, the Omnipotence, the Omniscience

of God?

My day goes amiss.

Period.

Why?

Because I am relying upon “my” understanding,

upon “my” limited wisdom,

upon “my” phobia’s and fears.

But, as it says in the Epistle of  James,

my interpretation

as I draw nigh to God {4:8} I am allowing the wisdom {1:5} of the Omniscient One

to guide, guard, govern my day!

When I connect with the One

when I allow this One

to provide all of my needs,

Grace

is

my sufficiency,

I

am

at

peace.

Of course, throughout the day, I have the choice to “be aware”

to be conscious of this Presence

this “nighness” of God

and it is in this continuous awareness that the harmonious day unfolds

but it is essential to

BEGIN

the

day

aright.

To

BEGIN

the

day

with

God.

Once you feel this connection to God, you cannot go without it!

It is like having your very best friend, attached at the hip, all of the time.

It is glorious!

It is magnificent!

It is God!

Please, my friend. Practice the Presence.

Become nigh to God.

Live in Grace.

*

Godspeed 

Thank you, O’ lover of our souls, for this knowingness that you are indeed our  best friend,

that your desire is for us to recognize that we truly are attached at the hip,

and all that we need do is become aware,

tune into,

Your Grace.

Our Sufficiency.

To Guide.  To Govern.  To Guard.

This day.

It is with a heart full of gratitude that I say

&

so it is

!

Thanks, Deb, for the glorious example of Oneness you shared with us today!

Welcome to Day Two BeLoved!

Your hearts desire {to live in harmony} is the state of Grace.

*

So glad you have listened to your heart.

That you have made this choice.

I love practicing with you!

*

Today’s Practice

One Presence.

One Power.

One Substance.

One Source.

One Creator. Sustain-er. Of All.

&

I

Am

One with this One.

Right here.

Right now.

I

rest

in this Oneness with God.

I

rest

in this harmony that permeates my soul.

I

rest

in this Divine Presence that is my Truth of Being.

I

rest

in this BeLoved that I am One with.

The noises of the world gently fade away

as I rest in Thee.

{Please take a few minutes to REST in this harmonic state of Grace}

{It is there.  Right now. With you}

Thank you

O’ Holy One

for this love that surrounds me.

For this melody that my heart sings.

I know this song comes from You alone

&

as I choose to see You

as the Source of every-thing

I make the choice to live in harmony.

In

Grace.

I make this choice now.

I am at Peace.

I am empowered.

I am grateful.

And so it is.

*

Spiritual Truth

In this perfect state of BE-ing , what I call the “Edenic” state,

let’s look at a Spiritual Truth to strengthen this awareness to our very core.

*

“My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth”

John 14:27

*

Just take a few minutes to meditate upon this Truth.

To meditate upon this Peace.

This Harmony.

To reflect upon

 the true meaning  of

 “not as the world giveth”

remembering

the more clarification you EXPECT to receive  from God,

the more you will be given.

*

Exercise One

In this same state of receptivity,

journal your thoughts regarding this Truth in relationship to the “Spiritual Resolve”

you wrote about yesterday.

Digging deeper:

 How does this lead to harmony in your life?

To living in Grace?

*

My Story

Harmony means that despite the noise.

Despite the clatter

{of the world}

I have a choice

in every moment

to

BE

at

peace.

How did I learn to do this?

I experimented!

{with my husband}

{without him really knowing}

Situations would  arise that I was “less than happy with” and I thought, okay, I can stay in this thought process;

I can continue believing that “something is wrong”

and

guess what,

“something IS wrong”

and

I will continue to get more

“wrong”

{or}

what if

I

looked away from the appearance

“the world”

and

turned within

to

God?

To

Peace.

To

Love.

Not “taking on” the “wrong”

not being effected by the “wrong”

but remaining

in the

State of Grace.

Another guess what?

The “wrong” does not continue.

The Truth prevails.

Time

&

Time

again

&

the result

IS

harmony.

Don’t believe it?

Try it.

Experiment with it.

With your husband.

With your children.

With the  person that is in “a really big hurry”  in the grocery line.

Or better yet,

in traffic.

 By looking away from “the world”

{appearances of things that do not reflect qualities of God}

my definition

&

focusing upon

GOD

GOOD

alone

you

have

the

choice

to

create

harmony

!

Okay, I hear you!

you are saying,

well, I am not going to let so & so do such & such to me!

I am not going to just back off!

What they did was wrong!

Period.

*

Fine.

If you choose to be effected by someone else’s “emotions”

instead of seeing  their

Truth of Being:

recognizing

that they, too, are an Expression of God

{the Father & I are One}

and that they are

expressing their Truth

the  best that they can in that very moment

I am sorry to say that you cannot,

will not

experience

harmony

or

peace

on a continuous basis.

It truly is that simple, my beloved.

Take the time. Make the effort.  Do the experiment.

It is essential to achieving the harmonious life of Grace.

*

Godspeed

It is in the Spirit of Love, Grace & Thank-full-ness that we part today.

I know that right where you are

God IS

and

as you continuously practice

this awareness of the Presence of God

you abide in Eden.

In

Peace.

In

Harmony.

In

Love

&

Joy

&

so it is

~

Happy Experimentation!

Would love for you to share.

Hello, Dear One!

So glad you have chosen to make the 21 day commitment to Grace!

Grab some paper or a journal and let’s begin!

*

All set?

Settled in?

Okay.

Take a few deep breaths

Rest & Relax

in this

Prayer.

*

One Presence

One Power

One Substance

One Source

God.

And I am One with this Presence

One with this Power

One with this Divine Intelligence.

Right here.

Right now.

I allow this Presence to fill my very soul.

I allow this Presence to be my strength.

To be my comfort.

To love me as no one ever could.

This Divine Presence is my Truth of Being

for I am One with the Father

&

 it is in this Oneness

that all peace is found.

All joy is known.

All wisdom is given.

I allow this wondrous Presence of God to be felt in, around and through me.

There is nothing wrong with calling upon this Presence.

It is in this establishment of my Oneness with God that I am able to glorify Him.

I breathe into this peace.

Into this love.

Into this knowingness that where I am God is and all is well.

I give thanks for this opportunity to become One with all who are seeking the Truth.

Who desire to know you personally.

Who desire to live a life of Grace.

I know that as my heart opens to your guidance, my life changes.

 It is with joy that I see your reflection becoming clearer and clearer in my life and in all who are sharing this journey.

I now let go and allow your glorious expression to come forth!

And so it is.

*

Didn’t that feel good?

And you know what?  That “feeling good” is the essential ingredient of Grace.

When you are One with God,

despite any circumstance surrounding you,

you have the choice to feel  peace

&

once you experience

God’s Peace:

the peace that passeth ALL understanding

you just want more & more!!!

*

Practice

We will begin each day Practicing the Presence of God through prayer.

I encourage you to speak the prayer out loud throughout your day.

Another choice is to  record the prayer and listen to it throughout your day

or

to write your own prayer 

 reminding  yourself of the Presence of God that is right there where you are!

 All-ways!

{If you write your own prayer, please feel free to share it with us!}

*

My Story

I began Practicing the Presence of God by example.

I was taught this practice in the 1990’s by a beloved minister, Dr. Ernest Phillips.

I can still see him coming up to me, closing his eyes and saying,

“the Presence of God”

and

from that moment on I knew that God wasn’t “out there” somewhere,

but right there

with me.

You, too, can know this presence by closing your eyes just long enough to say,

“the Presence of God”

Try it.  See what happens.

It is real, my friend.

No hocus pocus.

That is God.

Right there where you are!!!

*

Exercise Time

Okay, here’s where you will need your paper & pencil!

Let’s begin.

*

During the night the word

RESOLVE

kept coming to me.

These are the definitions I found online:

a}

{ to make a firm decision about my life }

b}

{ to change or transform }

c}

{ to clear up or deal with a problem or situation {or life – my words} successfully }

d}

{ to dispel any doubts }

*

How perfect are these definitions for describing what you are looking for?

Change. Success. Clarity. Transformation.

Exercise One

Using these definitions, or creating your own, describe what you intend to spiritually resolve in your life.

What doubts do you desire to dispel?

What problem or situation in your life to you wish to resolve successfully?

What change or transformation do you desire?

What firm decision are you making?

*

Take as much time as needed to journal about this.

You are welcome to share this at any time.   Sharing = Healing!

*

Exercise Two

Write a letter of declaration to yourself!

This is an example you are welcome to use or create your own!

Dear Paula.

It is with joy that I begin to spiritually resolve my life.

I am making this 21 day commitment with great expectations.

I know that as I put my heart into this daily practice,

I will see the change in my life that can only be found as I rest in this  Oneness with God.

I am open to receive this Grace.

I am thankful.

And so it is.

*

Spiritual Truth

Every day I will provide a spiritual truth for you to meditate upon.

I know from my own life story that it is “in the stillness”  that God is heard.

Here is to the listening!!!

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or wither shall I flee from thy presence?

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.

If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;

Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

Psalm 139:7 -10

*

As we part ways on day one, may your heart feel a deeper sense of God’s Presence and Peace.

This, my friend, is Grace.

Thank you,

O’

Holy

One,

for your infinite love for me.

To

KNOW —

that

as the moon & stars

are guided by our

ever-present

} Omnipresence {

so

am

I.

*

To

KNOW —

that

} YOU {

in the midst of me

is

my

sufficiency

allows me to

rest

in the

Peace that Passeth All Understanding.

*

I know that these Truths I speak seem ludicrous to many.

I have been in their shoes.

I have been entangled in fear.

I have been in the tunnel of depression.

I have felt completely. Totally. Abandoned by All.

BUT —

the shoes upon my feet right now

KNOW

that

} YOU {

truly are nearer than hands & feet

{ in pretty shoes}

and

that in this Oneness

All

Peace

is

Found

*

All

Glory

Known

*

It is my desire to teach this Truth to others.

If I can do it, so can they!

*

Yes,

it takes commitment.

Yes,

it takes practice

{ Spiritual Practice }

but

becoming

One with the One

who created You

allows you to SEE your true identity.

To SEE

your original Divine Nature.

This Divine Nature

is what

You

&

 each one on this planet

are yearning to know

*

Getting to know God

is not for one religion alone.

Getting to know God

is for everyone

because we are

} all one {

with

God

*

For the next 21 days I will be offering  a daily practice that will change your life.

I can say this because I live this.

A 21 day commitment is all that you need

to put in place

the infinite practice

of

Living in Grace

*

Don’t have time?

Phooey.

{Pronounciation: foo-ee}

You take time looking into your friends lives on the internet,

why not use that time to CHANGE your life?

Begin now.

As Goethe said:

“Are you earnest? Seize this very minute:

What you can do, or dream you can, begin it;

Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

Only engage and then the mind grow:

Begin and then the work will be completed.”

*

If you are not willing to  make this commitment for yourself,

make it for your children.

Do you want them to live with the worry & strife you are experiencing?

Or,

do you want them to live a life of joy & freedom?

A freedom taught by your example.

*

As a Mother,

and a single mother for many years,

I know your heart is yearning for this change

*

CHANGE,

you

will

CHANGE

their future, too!

*

See you here tomorrow!

En+Joy.

Paula.

&&&

THANK YOU GOD

for this clarity you have given

&

So it is!

Abundance is mine!

Grace Divine!

Infinite. Eternal. Essence of me.

All needs provided.

My house undivided.

The One Power & Presence my reality!

*

God my Source.

The Cosmos on Course.

No doubt of sufficiency!

Does this not ring true?

Words foreign too?

Then open your eyes so you may see.

*

Right where you are.

You need not go far

To find complete harmony.

Yes, it takes time.

 Getting to know the Divine

We are talking about setting your soul free!

*

Practice you must

To gain trust

In the Divine Presence infinitely guiding you.

What can you loose?

How can you not choose

The path that calls, “begin anew!”

*

Grace can be yours.

Peace & Poise restored.

Accept personal responsibility.

The Source of All

Awaits your call

But remember there is no “poor is me”

*

Open the door.

Accept what’s is in store

Abundance ever present.

Look around.

See  God to be found.

Omnipresent. Omnipotent. Omniscient.

*

Change starts right now.

Simply allow

friendship with the Master.

Every moment of this day.

Every step of the way

Your life needs not  feel like disaster.

*

If these words speak to you

the desire will come through

you will be led to all that is needed.

Open you heart.

Do indeed start

trusting the words heeded.

*

Abundance the way!

Possibilities in each day.

This your true life story!

Go within

This is where it begins!

Live your life of Glory!

*

Abundance is Mine!

Grace Divine!

Our Truth is worth resounding!

Celebrating this day.

You have found your way.

Here’s to your life

ABOUNDING!

I am so excited!

I “grasped” the way to participate in last week’s 5 minute Friday

without interfering with my “21 days to Grace { A Commitment} commitment!

Thank you, Lisa Jo, and community for the joy that I find in this practice.

I love spending time with all of you!!

Okay.

Ready.

Set.

Go.

GRASP

!!!!

Thank you, O’ Holy One,

for

this

increasing

awareness

of

Grace

that

has

grasped

my

soul.

I am so very thankful,

for

this

Divine Hold

{Grasp}

that

Your

Powerful

Presence

has

in

my

life.

This

gentle

{ Grasp }

that

that is everpresent

within me,

is not a strong hold,

but a comforting support

that I abide within.

I

love

grasping the

beauty,

the love,

the wisdom,

the joy

that you are.

That Grace is.

“Time’s Up”

****

It’s that time again!

Five minute Friday!

Join in on the fun by going to: Lisajobaker.com

Today’s word?

WIDE

Let’s see what these next 5 uninterrupted, unedited,  minutes bring to mind & to the page…

here we go!

*****

When I am in the state of Grace

I am wide open

to

receive

all

that

God

desires to impart through me.

When I am in the state of Grace

I

am

wide

open

to

the

magnificent

revelations

of

my

soul.

When

I am wide open int Grace

I

am

wide open to receiving

the

Divine Givingness

of

God

that

includes

the

Omnipotence of God.

Omnipresence of God.

Omniscience of God.

When I am in the state of Grace

and

wide

open

I am embracing life

as God intended.

When I am in the state of Grace

{Wide Open}

I

have let go

of

all

limitations

&

allowed

the

expression

the

unique expression

of

God

 to

open

widely

through

me.

I am wide open.

Today

I

choose

to let go

of

fear

!

Today

I

 choose

 to allow

God’s

} Grace {

to

appear

…

As

} All {

 I

need

each moment

of this day

!

As

my

} Strength {

my

} Support {

The

} Love {

I

display

!

For the Truth

is

where

God

is

there can be no

{ fear }

For

God

is

} Love {

that

is

radiantly

clear

!

If

I 

truly

believe

that

God

is

my

} Source {

Then

{ fear }

cannot

project

upon

my

course

!

For

what

I 

accept

I 

believe

!

What

I 

reap

I 

have

perceived

!

&

I 

have

 seen

God’s

infinite

glory

!

I 

have

accepted

the

wondrous

story

!

Love

is

the

master

of

this

day
!

Grace

the

} sufficiency {

in

all

my

ways

!

Life is Sweet

!!!

Words to Repeat

as we give thanks

to the

} One Source {

of

all

!

The

Sweetness

in

Life

Finding

 } joy {

amid strife

Comes only when we have answered the call.

To

ABIDE

in

Him

where all

} peace {

begins

To fill our very soul.

To

look away

from reasons of dismay

To

{ REST }

*

*

*

 He

is

in

control

!

This taste is known

only to those who have thrown

away thoughts of duality.

There is

only

} ONE {

Whose will is joyfully done

As the focus is upon

Thee

!

Take

a

bite

!!!

It’s

alright

!!

God’s Presence

within you

is

delectable

!

Life

{ IS }

Sweet

!!!

As you choose

to

greet

*

this

} Grace {

this

} God {

the

luscious

Essence

of

you

!

{To join in the fun!}

See how it’s done!

Visit:

New Home

***

My focus is clearly to be

the vehicle in which Grace flows through me.

My focus is to allow

God within me to show me how

to be an open channel for divine expression

To be guided, guarded, governed in every direction.

Grace, my focus

my purpose.

my intent.

Each

moment

with

God

fills

my heart with content.