Feeling lost, alone and helpless, and subsequent crying and upset, can be part of the Spiritual Journey. Many feelings will surface but they are not the guide: The eternal Spirit is. Crossing over is difficult, dry, alone and confusing, but you are being prepared to leave what is and enter what will be. While there is movement forward, no place is going to be fitting for a long time. Home isn’t where you want to be, work isn’t where you…
“Relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.” – C.S. Lewis
Overcoming is not meant to conquer and destroy every obstacle that hinders movement. To overcome is to eliminate the power of a situation and the ideas that stem from it. The response to the obstacle or oppression determines whether it continues or ceases activity. Obviously, the situation would not exist if it were possible to merely walk away from oppression or ignore it altogether. Overcoming difficulties in life does not require physical strength or mental brilliance. To triumph over whatever…
When the carnival comes to town each year, it is always a fun time for all. We can especially enjoy the roller coaster, the tilt-a-whirl, the Ferris wheel and the carousel, all going around and around. Games like whack-a-mole, the bean bag toss and throwing darts hoping to pop a balloon all offer fun and entertainment. Night after night, friends can enjoy the rides, the games of chance, the music, the colors and all the amusements and delights. However, after…
Circumstances, big or small; situations, major or minor. We sometimes feel taken in by these occurrences in our lives, manipulated and mistreated with the sense that this is not our own doing. We seclude ourselves, nurse the wounds and think we heal only to return to the situation with the thought ‘it will be different’. It is commonly compared to the guy that plays with a dog, having a great time and then the dog bites. The guy runs off…
There was a famous song in 1965 called ‘The Sound of Silence’. One of the artists summed up the song’s meaning as “the inability of people to communicate with each other, not particularly internationally but especially emotionally, so what you see around you are people unable to love each other.” In the spiritual world, silence is found during the times when the heart is being tested. During the silence, the ear of the believer is also being trained to listen…
The sensing of an unfulfilled need is common during the Spiritual Journey. “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” – C.S. Lewis
You will find that as you relinquish how you used do things, which is just another old pattern or habit, that creativity will make things a whole lot more fun and interesting, for you and those around you. When you are conscious of self-rule, all actions will be judged as right or wrong, setting up the believer for torment about what was or wasn’t done. A change of behavior is not the answer because the faulty nature remains hidden, along…
It is important to understand that methods learned that alleviate pain, suffering and misery have been stored in the memory. The same holds true for the afflictions of pleasures and gratifications. When circumstances in the Spiritual Journey are created to bring attention to those afflictions, the solution of how it was dealt with in the past comes to the forefront to be exercised again and again to relieve stress or relive fervor, but it’s only a temporary measure. When that…
Set your heart on the pilgrimage. The Spiritual Journey, which ultimately ends at complete spiritual maturity and the Christ-like nature, leads believers through what seems like a maze. This maze is to reveal personal motives, behaviors, attitudes and corresponding actions, and to become liberated from those things that ultimately do not serve—and have no place—in the Kingdom. Setting your heart on the pilgrimage with the decision to keep moving forward at any cost, will help you navigate the path as…