Happy Mother’s Day

Tis the Month of May, when we celebrate Mother’s Day.

Let I be remiss I wish to take this opportunity to say a few words to honor Mother’s everywhere, and even more so the Great Mother of all who brings life to all her creatures great and small, and yet takes time to lovingly provide for them all.

Where would we all be, if it were not for our Mothers? Very simply we wouldn’t be here at all. May I invite you to take a few moments every day, rather than just on Mother’s Day to let your Mother and the many other Mother’s in your life know how special and amazing they truly are.

Stop too and consider, the Divine who embodies the aspect of all Mothers. Without her gracious gifts of life and sustenance we would not be able to experience the greatest adventure of all, our life.

The spirit of Motherhood springs from the very well of life and love itself. To bring forth life and nourish it to fruition, is the most magnificent journey combined with the giving of one of life’s most loving gifts. You are the gift when you live your life to love and care for another.

May your day, and all the days you are blessed with be richly blessed with opportunities to be loving and kind to others, thus embodying the spirit of the Greatest Mother of all life.

Namaste

Kerrie UniFaith

When in doubt as to what to do, always allow Love to be your guide.

This is The Part of Me

This morning as we took the kids to school, Katy Perry was singing her amazing song “This is the Part of Me.” As I listened to the song I began to contemplate what is the part of me that I would never ever let anyone take away from me?

To me my spirituality is most important in the sense that I see all people as an intricate part of G’D. I view G’D as an amazing, forever loving,  compassionate Being, who is very accepting of each of us right where we are. Much like a parent enjoying their children’s games as they make-believe together. I see G’D as creating this entire reality for us to explore who we are in. As we create the experiences of our lives here in this incredible physical reality, G’D is right here within us saying “Cool, you want to be that, I am that too, with you.” In other words, G’D is  a part of everyone, and experiences with you all that you create. Some of your creations do not go well, they may even be total disasters. It is from your mistakes and disasters that you learn what you are not.

At the deepest innermost part of our being we are all Love, pure complete, unconditional Love. We forget this when we accept anything less than Love as our truth. G’D is pure unconditional Love. When we realize this, and our innate Oneness with the Divine, we come home to the truest deepest part of ourselves.

Now, this is the part of me, that I never, ever, want to allow anyone to take away from me. The part of me that knows I am deeply and unconditionally Loved. I am being fully myself as G’D created me to be, when I live Love unconditionally to others as well.

This does not mean we must allow others to treat us abusively. No, because doing so does not benefit them, or demonstrate Love and Respect for ourselves. While Love accepts all people as they are, it also allows you the freedom to create a life for yourself, in which you are treated with love and respect. We are not able to fully Love others, until we fully Love ourselves.

As the great Buddha said,

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

We must balance our self-love with Buddha’s saying here that “The man who foolishly does me wrong, I will return to him the protection of my most ungrudging love; and the more evil comes from him, the more good shall go from me.”

In the ancient Hebrew scriptures it says in Leviticus 19:18 “”‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.”

From these and many other teachings which reflect the same truth, we learn that to love others we must also love ourselves. Living by Love creates a state of balance in which we allow others to be who they are within their own creation, even as we allow ourselves to be who we are within our creation. Our interactions with others provide us many opportunities for growth; both in our understanding of who we are, and of who we are not. When we determine what we are not, we will no longer create that negativity within our experience. We will have learned that negative experiences are no longer needed. The suffering caused by these negative experiences will have served their purpose. We can choose to move on. The enlightenment of Love’s energy brings mindfulness, loving-kindness, compassion and peace into our lives.

We are each a small part of the Divine. Namaste, means basically that I see (or greet) that part of you in which the entire Universe (or the Divine) dwells, from that same place within me. We are acknowledging our Oneness and our connection with the Divine.

It is this sense of Divine connection, this Oneness with all life; along with choosing to walk the gentle path of loving-kindness, and compassion for all beings, that I never ever want to allow anyone to take away from me.

What do you see in yourself that you never ever want to allow anyone to ever take away from you? I would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

Namaste,

 Kerrie UniFaith

“When in doubt as to what to do, simply, always allow Love to be your guide.”

Taking Steps Toward Loving Yourself

Last night I had the wonderful privilege of visiting on the phone with one of my Dear friends from my High School days. I haven’t heard from or seen her* in over twenty years. (*name withheld pending approval to use) As I listened to her describe some of the experiences she has had; including three tours in Iraq, and the collapse of her marriage. I was deeply impressed by her courage’ and how she faced the difficult challenges of her life, and over came them. She said what helped her to heal and create the life she wanted; was to begin each day to love herself more. She took positive steps toward nourishing herself each day as her healing journey began.

For example when her feet hurt she took time to rest and soak them to help them feel better. She removed herself from negative situations both at home and work. She surrounded herself with positive people and focused on providing for her family. She often thought about her Mother and Mother in Law and all the adversities they faced and overcame to build up her courage when she felt discouraged. She purchased personal things that she normally hadn’t gotten for herself in the past;  to nurture her through the hard times. She went for walks in the fresh air, and took time to fix her hair, eat healthfully and dress well. She focused on positive measures to keep herself strong and healthy. She also never forgot her faith in God, as she has always trusted him to see her through all of life’s difficulties. Giving up was never an option.

In my experience I too have removed myself from negative harmful relationships and environments. I surround myself with positive people and I often read inspirational and self-help books. My faith in G’D has also been an intricate part of my healing journey. I trust G’D to guide and provide for me as needed in all situations. In addition I took a wonderful class called CORE, which really helped me acquire the tools I needed to begin healing myself and creating the life I want to experience. I am still learning to take physically nourishing steps to build myself up. I do follow a very healthy diet and vitamin supplement regime. I also go for walks with my children and grandchildren, and go on bike rides with my son . I enjoy playing computer games with my children; and listening to music that makes me happy. Giving up is not an option. Life is to wonderful an experience to waste being miserable!!!

My suggestion to you is take a close look at your present life experience. What is uplifting and nourishing to you? What drains you and takes away your peace and joy? Make a list if that helps you. Then start taking steps each day to create the life experience you want to have. It is your life after all, do not waste it in apathy or misery. I used to think I was trapped in the abusive domestic relationship’s I was in. I thought I did not have any options. After I attended CORE I learned I do have options. I am not trapped unless I allow myself to be. I am the one who is responsible for creating the life experience I am having. If I do not like what I am experiencing, I am the only one who has the power or the option to change it. You are never without options. You always have the option to change.

The first thing I did was leave the abusive relationship. I had left him before, and just gone back to him. So this time I not only left, I moved 1300 miles away and started a whole new life for me and my children. The old truck we made this epic journey in barely ran. I ‘d say it ran on a lot of oil (one qt per 40 miles) and prayer along with the kindness of many friends and strangers who helped us get to our destination. I thank G’D for each and every one of them!!!

As both my friend and I have experienced in very similar ways; we found that as we learned to nourish and love ourselves, our pain anger and grief became more bearable each day. For in loving yourself, you allow yourself to heal on many levels. You begin to respect yourself the moment you cease to allow others to mistreat you.

Many spiritual traditions also teach this, and encourage one to love oneself. In both the Christian and Jewish traditions one is encouraged to not harm oneself and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The great Buddha also taught that “You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”

You my friend are a beautiful and unique creation. You were designed to love and be loved. The expression of Love is the most meaningful and powerful part of our entire existence. For this process to begin to function properly, you must first love yourself. Until you begin to love yourself, you will not be able to really love anyone else.

An excellent book on this subject that could help you begin your journey into love and healing, is don Miguel Ruiz’s wonderful book The Mastery of Love. I pray your journey is blessed, with all the love the universe longs to give you. Open your heart and allow your healing to begin.

Namaste, with Love,

Kerrie UniFaith

“When in doubt as to what to do, always allow Love to be your guide.”

Celebrating The Magic of Spring, and The Renewal it Brings

While searching for applicable quotes to use on my blog today as I contemplate the magic of spring and the renewal of life it brings, I came across this one by Michael Teal, I hope you will enjoy.

“Transform your thoughts and embrace love as a way of life. Your souls dance is one of great joy and by acknowledging its beauty you foster the awakening spirit and create positive outcomes in all aspects of life. The essence of being alive is to live like you mean it and transform limiting beliefs. By doing so you inspire the heart which will in return guide you along a path of bliss to a happy and passionate life.” (Michael Teal: source Gaiam quotes blog)

Truly one of the most important steps we take as we seek to transform our lives, is to begin with our thoughts. As the Great Buddha once said, “All that we are is a result of what we have thought.”

In natures cycle new life springs forth from the decay of winter. In like manner we are able to transform old decaying thoughts and beliefs, which limit and enslave us; into new patterns which free and transform us. Each day we live and breathe is an opportunity to become the loving compassionate beings we were born to be.

Today as we step into the beautiful gift we have been blessed with, I invite you to celebrate the magic of spring in your own life, as you transform your thoughts to create yourself anew. Life is a shining miracle, and each day a blessed gift.

As you observe the wonder of spring once again, allow yourself the simple joy you once held in years gone by. As children we embraced the mystery with a pure and simple joy as we observed flowers opening, birds singing, squirrels playing, and the magical grace of a butterfly first opening its wings…. Every sunrise and sunset is a banquet for your soul a feast for your eyes. Forget not the joy of the simple things.

May all your days be blessed with the  joy to be found in the mystery’s of life; in all its simple complexities. Even more so, forget not to take time to be filled with joyful awe in the loving presence of the Ever Compassionate One who makes all of life possible.

Namaste,  Kerrie UniFaith

“When in doubt as to what to do, always allow love to be your guide.”

G’D is Simply, Unconditional Love

Today, I contemplate the wonder, and the magnitude of G’D's Great Love for each of us, the works of his hands. When I contemplate the essence of G’D, I see vast unconditional love; mercy, kindness, compassion, forgiveness and provision for every need. I see a G’D who deeply loves both you and me. The G’D I see loves every person of every race and faith unconditionally.

Each one of us reflects the portion of G’D's great light that we perceive. Our growth and view will naturally vary according to our experiences and perceptions of G’D found within our culture and faith. G’D is so vast and unlimited in Love for all mankind, that G’D is able to guide each one in their continued growth and expanding understanding of the love contained within the heart of the Divine. It is our understanding of this love which we daily portray in our lives; through our interactions with others.

In light of the resent outbreak of tornado’s I consider his great mercy. So many lives were spared. I am deeply grateful for each one. As these storms ravaged our land I simply prayed, “G’D save those who are in harm’s way. Let them live to see another day. Have mercy upon them this day.” Property is replaceable. People are not.” Considering the number of violent tornado’s that touched down on Friday, March 2nd 2012, we were very blessed, that so few lives were taken. G’D in his great mercy spared many lives, which could have been lost.

For your contemplation today I have a selection of verses from the Hebrew scriptures that reflect the loving-kindness of G’D. There are many more, but these especially stand out for me. I hope you also find peace and unconditional love for you, in these passages.

“Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” Jeremiah 31:3

“I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love; I lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them.” Hosea 11:4

And again, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his loving-kindness for those who fear (*my added interpretation: “revere”) him.” Psalms 103:11

“Surely goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalms 23:6

From IslamicSolutions.com Dr Pasha speaks of the Holy Qur’an‘s teachings on the loving-kindness and mercy of G’D:

“Just like we cannot think of rain or ocean without water; or of forest without trees; or of desert without sand; or of sky without sun, moon and the stars; in the same way we cannot also conceive of God without the qualities of love, compassion and mercy.

The Qur’an tells us over and over that Allah’s greatest attribute is his infinite love and his boundless mercy and compassion. God is, says the Qur’an, Rahmaanand Wadood: most merciful and most loving. The Qur’an makes it perfectly clear that nothing falls outside the bounds of God’s most amazing and all-encompassing grace.” (Dr. Pasha)

From the Native American perception Black Elk wisely observed that:

“Peace…comes within the souls of [human beings] when they realize that at the center of the Universe dwells the Great Spirit, and that this center is really everywhere. It is within each of us.”

Buddha in his G’D given wisdom declared that:

“In the end, these things matter most: How well did you love? How fully did you love? How deeply did you learn to let go?”

Every faith and tradition speaks of the importance of love, and most importantly, the great presence of the unconditional love the Divine daily blesses us with. May this love, ever be your guide.

Namaste,

Kerrie UniFaith

“G’D Gave Me You”

Good-morning. I woke up extra early this morning, so I could spend a little extra time with my daughter before she left for work; and then have this special time with all of you.

Just before I woke I dreamed I was giving a message in a church about how very Blessed we all are. Part of the message I gave was, that instead of saying “this is my husband/partner and these are my children”, how much better it is to say “this is the husband/partner that G’D gave me, and these are the children G’D has given me to love.” “These are the friends and family that G’D has given me.” For truly everyone is a gift of Divine love! Each one has the potential to help us grow.

When we look at everyone through the eyes of love, we see their true potential. We see that everyone is a loving gift, of exceptional value. Some people are easy to love, and fit our life-like a custom-made glove. And then there are the people in our lives who are difficult to bear. They challenge us constantly, pushing us forward and making us grow. Thank G’D for them too, for if it weren’t for the challenges they give you, and all the things they put you through; you wouldn’t be the same amazing person you are today. For it is in facing our fears, and over coming our challenges that we grow each day; to become the people we have the potential to be. The darker the night, the brighter your light has the potential to shine.

My daughter loves to listen to CMT while she is getting ready for work. This morning as I was lying on the couch listening to the music with her, Blake Shelton was singing “G’D Gave Me You.” That song really woke me up, as it went so perfectly with the dream I just had. How beautifully G’D's spirit orchestrates events to bring us messages of Divine undying love.  This message is so clear to me, everyone who is near and dear to me, G’D has given me to love.

So here I am, writing this down to let you know what a Blessing you are!  To each and every one of you, I Love you for who and what you are! I want you to be your highest and truest expression of who you really are. Move beyond your fears and obsessions. Do not look to possessions to define who you are. You are already a magnificent creation; a beautiful shining star. You are an expression of Divine love; here now to experience life as you truly are.

Love is the deepest well within your heart, that part of you that really sets you apart. When you allow love to be your guiding light, you are living your highest truth.  It is now that you are meant to shine. Remember the song, “This Little Light of Mine?” Well my friend, we each are Love’s Light, meant to bring an end to the darkness of bitter night! So let us all stand up together and let it shine!

You are Love’s gift to me, and to everyone you meet. G’D gave me you! How very Blessed we all are! My invitation to you, is to take time to notice the many gifts in your life. The people who are there for you through thick and thin; the people who love you no matter what shape you are in. The ones who hold you up when your life is caving in; they are G’Ds special gifts to you. Let them know how very much they mean to you! And yes, let us remember each day to say thank you to the One who makes this all possible, the One who will always be there loving you. Each day I thank G’D for giving me each one of you!

Thank you, for Being the Blessing that you each are! Thank you for allowing Love’s Light to shine, so brightly in this little life of mine!

Loving you in all that you do!

Kerrie UniFaith

Always allow Love to be your guiding light, and everything will turn out right.

Love is in the Air

Valentine’s Day, what a wonderful reminder it is, that Love is in the air! A Love so abundant that we all can be filled to the brim; and overflow with love for everyone the Universe sends our way. What a magnificent vision Love brings to us each day, that we open ourselves to its embrace. My challenge to you this day, is to allow Love to flow through you every day, as if it were Valentine’s Day, and everyone you meet is your beloved. For each person is a unique expression of the Love that formed us all. The Beloved is present in every heart, and Love is the most intricate part of our inner being.

Celebrate Love’s sweet embrace with every breath you take. For Life is the greatest gift, and the most magnificent adventure we are being blessed with!

To Love one another is the greatest admonition and our life’s true mission. Forget not you are the sweetest person you will ever know, now take that Love and let yourself glow. You can be Love’s Light to everyone you know!

May your life today be blessed in more way’s then you can imagine. May Love embrace your heart, and guide you forever more. Your journey is filled with many amazing opportunities to show Love’s light and make fear take flight. You are the one who can bring a kinder vision, filled with Love’s abundant provision’s; into every aspect of your daily life.

My Love to each and all of you today, and every day you are blessed with! Namaste!

Kerrie UniFaith

When in doubt as to what to do, always allow love’s pure light to guide you on your way.