The Ultimate Gift

Greetings Precious and Beloved Ones!

I have often quoted the familiar saying that, "Life is God's gift to us, but...what we make of our lives is our gift to God!". While that has a ring of truth to it, let's consider the fact that we have life at all, is the gift.

Life is indeed precious and sacred and fun and full! The key is to take all of it, the good, the not so good, the ups and downs, the twists and turns, and love it all!

Take who you are and love it all! The good, the
perceived not so good, the beautiful and lovely parts and the deep not so lovely hidden parts, and love it all! Oh, if we could but offer Love and Grace to ourselves unconditionally, how different our sense of self would be. We would actually feel free and happy! It is time to simply love life! And, to love ourselves Uncontionally!!

The questions for the day are:
. Are you loving life? How? What is your favorite thing about life?
. What would loving yourself unconditionally look like?
. What is the gift you are giving back to God?

Lov'in it All,
Rev. Sylvia

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Calm the inner chatter

Good Day Beloved Ones!

Yak Yak Yak!! Sometimes it seems there is always a conversation going on in our head. Not the "still small voice" either, but the one that never shuts up! You know the one that is stuck on the woulda, coulda, shoulda's!

It has been said that God works in the stillness! That being true, then it seems we need to get to that place of stillness often so the we can hear that higher voice offering guidance, peace and comfort.

The questions for the day are:
. How do you overcome anxiety and worry?
. How do you calm the constant chatter of your mind?
. What is your favorite way to connect with Spirit?
. How does Spirit communicate with you?

Be Still and Listen,
Rev. Sylvia

How to soothe yourself

Good Day Beloved Ones!

Hope you had a great day giving thanks yesterday! Don't stop now, it is a great habit to have. It reminds you of all the good you do indeed have.

So often when we forget our blessings, we can fall into states that do not serve our highest good. We may panic, become overwhelmed, stressed out, and the like. The key is to be able to quiet the mind of the disruptive and distructive emotions. We have to be able to soothe oursrvlevs so that we can access that which will be highest and best for us, those God thoughts and guidance!

Whatever arises, tell yourself,"I can deal with it"! Those simple words are powerful. They let you immediately move into a higher more confident state. Keep repeating those words as often as you need to, evenly you will begin to relax and see whatever is yours to do from a clearer perspective.

The author gives a wonderful process for soothing ourselves so be sure to read today's lesson. In the meantime, the questions for today are:
. What extra stress is happening in my life right now? What would help me deal with this stress? Who could I talk to about this?
. Who do you soothe yourself?
. How would the wisest person on earth deal with the situation?

Make it a great day. Remember, "you can deal with it!"
Blessings,
Rev. Sylvia

A Stranger to Yourself

Greetings Beloved One, and Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you spend some of the day with family or friends, but if not, then enjoy and be thankful for the time to be "with" yourself!

We live in a world that is so fast paced and filled to the brim with daily activities that we often lose our connection with our selves; we become as the author states, "a stranger to ourselves". When we feel drained and our well has run dry, it is hard to feel the aliveness of life and spirit. No doubt this can lead us to feelings of emptiness, detachment,
loneliness, and a sense of alienation from ourselves.

We must take care of ourselves! We are all we have and we are truly worth it! So......

The questions for today are:
. What do I need right now for my heart and soul?
. What am I neglecting?
. What outer changes do I need to make that will be beneficial for my soul's growth?

Being thankful for you!
Rev. Sylvia

Loneliness: The way out

Greetings Precious Ones!

Wherever I go, there I am! This is usually thought of in terms of getting away from our limited or negative habits or perceptions. However, we can also use it as a reminder of the positive notion of being "with" yourself in a good way; enjoying your own company.

However the flip side to remember is that we are by nature also social beings. We need one another and can thrive in the company of others. We get to laugh, cry, and share the joys and sorrows of life. Others can help us to feel alive and connected!

The questions for today are:
. What habits are keeping you more isolated than you want to be?
. What sources of friendship or companionship could you develop?
. What is it that you would like to offer more freely to other people?
. How could you become an even better companion for yourself?
. How will you care for your spiritual needs on a regular basis?

Reach out and touch someone today. Make a connection!
Blessings,
Rev. Sylvia

Loneliness

Greetings Beloved Ones,

Here's a thought to ponder, when you are alone, are you "by" yourself or are you "with" yourself? I remember making a comment to a friend apologizing for the fact that they had to go somewhere by themselves; she quickly corrected me and said, "I am not going by myself but with myself!. I am never by myself but always with myself and I enjoy my own company".

I love that thought, it helps me to remember that while I enjoy being with and around others, I can also enjoy being with myself. Yet, as the author suggests, there are those times when we may feel lonely, even in the midst of others. We may hunger for something and not really know exactly want it is.

The questions for today are:
. Have you ever felt that something was missing in your life? What did you do about it?
. What do you do when you feel lonely?
. Have you ever felt depressed, or disconnected, or distant from what was happening around you?
. How do you know when you are "by" yourself or "with" yourself?

With you always,
Rev. Sylvia

Maybe he won't call

Greetings precious ones!

He loves me, he loves me not; I wonder if she thinks I'm cool; if I get this promotion then I will get the respect I deserve; I never get noticed, etc.

So often questions like those indicate how often we give others power over our our sense of self. We also fall into the habit of thinking we are the center of the universe and that everything is happening to us. As our author states, "it takes a great deal of you to see the other person's action may have very little to do with you....the point is that when someone else's action or decisions undermine your entire sense of self, you have given away your power!"

The questions for today are:
. Have you ever given away your power?
. How do you or have you taken it back?
. When something goes wrong, how do you not blame another or make them the bad guy, while still maintaining your sense of self and intrinsic value?

Have a blessed day!
Rev. Sylvi

Talking to and about yourself

Greetings Beloved Ones!

You know, I call you beloved ones to remind you of who you are. Doesn't it feel good to hear those words? There is power in the spoken word! Your words will assist in creating your experience; they will affect your state of mind and color your perspective. They will either strengthen or weaken your consciousness so you must chose them wisely.

Are you building yourself up or are you tearing yourself down with your words; with your mental chatter? Are you boxing yourself in with words like can't, should, must, have to, won't? Are you using yours words to reflect your positive choices, desires and visions?

The Action Steps for today is: listen carefully to yourself; notice how you talk to and about yourself; notice how you talk to and about others.

The questions for the day are:
. What negative or limiting words have you said about yourself that you need and want to get rid of?
. How do you practice to rid yourself of these negative words?
. Do you use Denials and Affirmations regularly? If so, what is your process? If not, why?

Here is the author's reminder:
"I can trust myself. Other people's opinions are driven by their needs and emotions - not by magical insights about my worth."

This sounds like a great affirmation to use when the inner negative voices take over your consciousness.

Make it a great day. Whisper words of kindness!
Rev. Sylvia

What is right about yourself

Good Day Beloved Ones,

We have a saying in Truth that encourages us to "see the good" in others or ourselves, or the situation. Often it is easier to see the good in others than it is to see it within ourselves.

We have a tendency to see what is wrong, what's not working well, or what is not right. We need to be able to call upon the wonderful things about us and remember our good qualities. This will serve us well when we are in the midst of one of those days when things are challenging.

So the Action Step for today is to list 10 things that are right about you!

The questions for today are:
. When things go wrong, how do you encourage yourself?
. What is right about you?
. What is right about your day? (if you are just getting your day started, then recall what was right about yesterday?

Make it a good day!
Love ya!
Rev. Sylvia

Trustworthy for others also

Greetings beloved ones!

Trust is such a valuable thing. Once it is gone or betrayed it is so challenging to gain again. Yet, it is also so fragile when placed upon people because people are subject to error whether consciously or unconsciously.

We may not mean to hurt another, or disappoint, or fall short of the mark in another's eyes but it happens. While we cannot control other's thoughts or perceptions, we can think about our own trustworthiness.

Our questions for the day come from our author who suggests we journal about them or share them with a trusted friend. They are :
. Who is the most trustworthy person I know? What qualities does that person have? How do I see them lived out? Do they have any qualities that I want to develop within myself?

. Can I be trusted to be relatively reliable in mood and reactions? Do I valie that kind of
trustworthiness in other people? If people k ow they can rely on me to be even-tempered and generous-minded, how would this support my relationships and the way that I experience myself?

Well sweet peas, I trust you will have a great day!
Rev. Sylvia

The World Beyond Ourselves

Gooday Friends!

It seems all this work we are doing on gaining self-knowledge does indeed have a purpose. We are not only trying to wake up so that we may live life more consciously and be at peace within ourselves but that we can also live in peace with others; after all, we must live in relationship to and with others.

The author says, "the more clearly we can see our own inner conflicts, contradictions and inconsistencies, the less harm we will cause y projecting them onto other people. Likewise, the more clearly we can see our strength and aptitudes, the more delight we will have in living and the more positively we will influence and affect other people."

All this self-knowledge will help you to become comfortable with yourself or at least knowledgeable enough to make the changes you desire and create more ease and grace in your relationships.

The questions for today are:
. In what instances does knowing yourself give you stability? How has it helped you?
. What is your process for bringing yourself to a state of inner peace when in the midst of conflict?
. How do you determine your strength and weaknesses?

Enjoy the world beyond yourself!
Rev. Sylvia

You are not the center of the Universe

Greeting beloved ones!

I apologize for the late posting! I hope you didn't think it was anything you did! If so, today's lesson is just for you!

You are not the center of the universe! What!!! That is news to me, I thought we were responsible for all that happens to us. Well, the truth is we are responsible for what happens within us!

Today's lesson is to remind us to be kind and gentle with ourselves and others and to make no assumptions about why others do what they do. It is not always for the reasons we think. If younmusf know, then ask and hope you will get an honest answer about what is going on with them.

Today's action step is to check out your assumptions!

The questions for today are:
. If everything is not about you, who is it about?
. When a situations occurs do you automatically put yourself in the middle if it; worrying about how you will be viewed; or why people are hurting you, ignoring you, blaming you, faulting you, attacking you, or whatever "to you"?
. What makes you feel it is about you?

If you are not at the center of the universe, I wonder who or what is?
Have a great day!!
Rev. Sylvia

Your effect on other people

Good Day Wonderful People!

Have you ever heard the saying " What you think of me is none of my business!". If only we really believed or took that to heart. We are usually very concerned with what others think about us or how they treat us or how they interact with us.

The author asks us to consider the opposite; to consider how "we" affect other people. What is your body language saying? What does your tone of voice say? What is your capacity for restraint? How do you lift the spirit of others? All good questions! Think about them!

Our questions for today are:
. Are you aware of how your words affect other people?
. When was the last time you used restraint in your response to someone else? How did it feel?
. How can you exercise more positive choice when interacting with others?

Observe how you affect others today and wake up!
Rev. Sylvia

The Big Picture

Good Day Soaring Ones!

How high can you go? Well it is truly up to you!

We are meant to soar like eagles! Yet sometimes we live like chickens, clucking and plucking at all the little things and forgetting that we can rise
above the minutia. We obsess about the 10% that is not going so well and we forget about the 90% of our lives that is fulfilling and meaningful. We need to see the Big Picture!

The questions for today are:
. Why does the "Big Picture" look like in your life?
. What is most important for you to be doing in your life right now?
. If your life were captured on film would you or anyone else want to watch it? Why?

Hey, the view from the top looks great! Enjoy it!

Love and Light,
Rev. Sylvia

The Common Denominator

Good Day Insightful Ones!

The strangest thing happens to me everyday, "wherever I go, there I am"!

"You are the common denominator in every relationship and every situation that creates your life". I guess this is why the author has us doing so much work initially looking at and into ourselves. All of the patterns, the reactions, the thoughts, the emotions, the behaviors, etc. all have a reference point that begins with us and if we hide from ourselves or deny certain parts, or remain unconscious, we cannot awaken to what drives us; healing and transformation are then delayed.

The questions for today are:
. Are you aware of how you drive or influence relationships and situations in your life?
. Where should you be looking at as it relates to events that happen in your life that see, to pose a challenge for you?
. What gifts from your own existence do you share with others on a daily basis?

For Extra Credit: Be aware of what you pay attention to; how you fill your time; how you nourish your mind; how you engage with the world around you; how enthusiastically welcome each new day; what you identify with most strongly; what gives your life its shape, meaning, and purpose, and what are you giving to others.

Wherever you go, there you are! Make it a great day!
Rev. Sylvia

Oops

Sorry, I pinged before I was ready.

Reflecting involves attaining meaning and gaining real insight into your situation or experiences or behaviors. Today's exercise requires you to engage in a journaling excerice. The author suggests you reflect on the following questions and journal about them:
. What is familiar here? Is there a pattern?
. What were your intentions in this situation? What were you hoping for or wanting?
. What actually happened?
. How might this have looked from the perspective of whoever else was involved?
.what can you see now that you didn't then?
. What would you do more of, or less of another time.?

Happy reflecting!
Rev. Sylvia

How to reflect

Greetings awakened ones!

Today's lesson is very helpful if you have a habit of going over things in your mind over and over and over again. While reflection is valuable to our growth, our author makes a great distinction between "reflecting" and "renuminating".

Renuminating merely amounts to looking back and beating yourself up or aimlessly going over what
you should or should not have done. Reflecting involves attaining meaningful insightsnand understanding

All your experiences can turn to gold!

Greetings Life Weavers!

Yes, you are weaving and spinning your life into gold! Every experience carries something of value. In Unity we say, "Look for the Good, and praise it!". Meaning there is some good in every situation, every experience and every condition. We need only to take the time to look for it. And when we find it to focus on that.

Questions for the day are:
. When was the last time you learned something from an experience? What did you do with that learning?
. Take a minute and think about you life. Do you tend to evaluate your setbacks and see what part of it you are responsible for or.....do you lay blame primarily on others?
. How do you usually handle grief, loss, sadness or disappointment? What insightsnhave you gained from them?

Have a peaceful day!
Rev. Sylvia

Mistakes and Opportunities

Good Day Precious Ones!

Isn't it great to know that we are loved unconditionally by God?! If we truly know that then it is easier to take a good and honest look at what may be driving us without our knowledge or conscious thought. After all hoe often do we acknowledge our "Shadow" side? Do we see those not so positive behaviors or traits?

We all make mistakes from time to time. Can we own them? We all exhibit poor behavior from time to time. Can we see it? We have all made errors in judgement from time to time. Can we see it and learn from it?

The author provides some powerful examples of our disowned behaviors. Your action step for today is tho review her list and circle those behaviors you identify with.

Our questions for the day are:
. What is your first response when you make a mistake? And when others make a mistake?
. Can you identify some of you "Shadow" traits or behaviors?
. How often are you able to treat mistakes as opportunities?

Let YourLight Shine! Remember the light casts out all Shadows!!!

Have a Lightfilled day!
Rev. Sylvia

The Choice is yours

Greetings Beloved Ones!

Ok, this is something that we all know to be true; it is a well known and common thought in new thought circles and that is: The Choice is Yours!

everything is a choice but the challenge is that we are not always conscious of that when we are making them; or we are habitual in our responses.

What if we developed the habit of saying at every
opportunity, "This is a choice I am making"! If we could some how consciously claim it I believe we would stand a better chance of waking up. Let this be your action step for today: Affirm repeatedly throughout the day, "This is a Choice I am making"!

The questions for the day are:
. How can you live your life with greater trust and confidence?
. How do you take responsibility for your own happiness?
. What is your current state of life telling you about the choices you have made?

Choose to make it a great day!
Rev. Sylvia

When things go wrong (and they will)

Greeting Beloved Ones!

Often times people say that we Truth Students are Pollyanna's, or that we don't deal with reality, or that we wear rose color glasses. Not so! We just try practicing seeing the good in the situation.

There are times however when things may feel overwhelming. We may not feel in control of the situation or our emotions. Yet, even in those situations we have a choice as to how we will respond. I only wish I could remember that when I am in the midst of the situation!

I love the two questions the author poses when she is faced with a challenging situation: "what does this situation need?" or "what does this moment need?". Just asking those questions brings you back to your strengths!

Your action step for today is to ask that question throughout the day, in every situation and encounter!

Our questions for today are:
. What do you do when faced with an overwhelming or situation? Or some tragedy?
. How do you wake up your inner strenghs?
. How do you know when to hold on and when to let go?

Be Abundantly Blessed!
Rev. Sylvia

You are responsible for your own happiness

Greetings Beloved Ones!

Are you having fun yet!? Well if not, it is up to you! You are the source of your own happiness. We all know this but yet we at times find ourselves expecting others to make us happy, or we simply get upset if they don't.

Here is your action step: Take back your expectations! When you do, you empower yourself; you determine what kind of life you will live and how you will feel in any situation..

The questions for today are;
. Do you have any expectations of others? Look deep.
. How do you react when others treat you unfairly?
. What fear do you want to release?

Have an awakened day!
Rev. Sylvia

The Power of Presence

Greetings Committed Ones!

We all know the saying, "Wherever I go, there I am!". Well, wherever we go we also bring bit and pieces of ourselves to others. How we are with others has an effect on them.

Action steps for today:
. Listen the tone of your voice when you speak to others.
. Demonstrate kindness to someone

The questions for today are:
. How do you know when you are present in the moment?
. What stops you from being present.
. What do you do when you are not in a great mood and you have to be around others?

Remember, your presence speaks about you!

Be honest and be awake!
Rev. Sylvia