Unity Church of Blue Water
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Breadcrumbs.... from Rev. LaVern
In
Pursuit of Happiness... June 2008
A few months back I read an article in the newspaper reviewing a recently published book about happiness. Unfortunately, I could not remember the name of the book so I went to www.Amazon.com and searched for books with “happiness” in the title. I got 616 results. Now, I did not go through all of those listings to be sure that they actually were books about happiness or how to attain happiness. However, even if only half of the results listed were actually books about happiness - that is over 300 books currently on the market! That is a strong indication that there are a lot of people who are seeking more happiness in their lives – or, at least a lot of writers that believe people are searching for more happiness.
Under The New York Review of Books on the Internet I found an article by Sue M. Halpern titled “Are You Happy?” Halpern reviewed 5 recent books about happiness; most of which were about the results of psychological studies done over the last 10-20 years. While different psychologists had different theories about why some people are happy and others are not, there was a general consensus that there is no one thing that will make everyone happy. The reason for this is simple: every individual has there own criteria for defining happiness. For example, Winnie the Pooh would say that happiness is a full pot of honey – but you just might be expecting a classic red convertible to do it for you.
Halpern also pointed out that most of these studies do not address how to cope with circumstances that do not engender happiness, such as terminal illness, unemployment, loss of a loved one, etc. In fact, the author of Against Happiness, Eric Wilson, argues that we shouldn’t be trying to find happiness. Instead, we should put our focus on learning to live with the full range of our human emotions.
Wilson’s argument reminded me that happiness is, after all, only a temporary human experience – just like all human emotions. This is not to say that our emotions are not important. Indeed, emotions are among the most essential ingredients of our human experience. Learning to feel and express our emotions in healthy and appropriate ways is perhaps the greatest lesson we can get from our time here on earth. However, that is not always an easy assignment. As Jim Rosemergy recently wrote, “One of the greatest expressions of strength and courage is when we allow ourselves to experience our emotions.”
Therefore, while happiness is certainly an enjoyable state of mind, I must conclude that it is not really happiness that we are so desperately seeking in our lives. We do not want just some temporary band-aid for our hearts. We are longing for a permanent state of consciousness that will give us the strength and courage to experience the full range of our temporary human emotions. What we perceive as a longing for happiness is really a longing to know the Divine. Emilie Cady put it this way: “At the great heart of humanity there is a deep and awful homesickness that never has been and never can be satisfied with anything less than a clear, vivid consciousness of the indwelling presence of God….” (Lessons in Truth)
Let us then begin to seek to know Spirit in all the corners of our lives. As we deepen our connection with the Christ presence within, we open our selves to experiencing life in a new awareness… with more passion and more profound joy than we have ever known before. This is a joy that surpasses the temporary human emotion of happiness. It is a Joy founded in the Divine, the Eternal… it is a touchstone of courage and strength that supports us through even the darkest of times with the sure and constant reassurance that we are One with Spirit – now and always!
Blessings in Love and Peace,
Rev. LaVern Watters
Breadcrumbs
is the sole intellectual property of Reverend LaVern Watters and may not be
reproduced or published in any forum without express permission from the
author.
Tending
Our Gardens May 2008
It’s May! I like May – a
lot; it is springtime AND it is my birth month.
It was obviously a busy time for a lot of mothers as I have 8
birthday reminders listed on my calendar for this month.
I guess it is no wonder that we celebrate Mothers Day this month.
By May it is spring in most of the
When I think of my mother I always think of her garden.
She planted seeds, watered, and weeded all spring and summer long in
order for us to have fresh vegetables on our table and home-canned ones
throughout the winter. She
believed that it is a mother’s job to nurture the seeds of life, in whatever
form they appear. Yet, it is not
just mothers that create and nurture.
We all have seeds within us – ideas, possibilities, dreams; these
seeds lie within waiting for us to water them, fertilize the ground around
them, and watch over them as they grow.
Spring reminds us that we are all creative beings and that within
each of us is a divine potential waiting to be expressed.
The thing is –
some of us simply aren’t gardeners.
I say this with perfect honesty because, despite the best efforts on
my mother’s part, I am no good in a garden.
My daughter and I have an inside joke about both of us being born
with “black” thumbs as opposed to “green” ones.
Recently I was helping to deliver plants for a plant sale.
When I told my daughter about it she asked if I touched any of the
plants – she was afraid I might have killed them before they even got to
their destinations!
In reflecting upon this, I realized that the main reason
that plants don’t thrive around me is that I really have no interest in
tending them. I enjoy looking at
them but I would rather someone else did the work.
It is the same with realizing my internal potential – I have to have
a burning desire to manifest those ideas and dreams that are lying in wait.
However, desire is not enough.
It takes work to bring our dreams into expression.
When we think of starting a garden, we may think that it
begins with the planting.
However, I grew up a farmer’s daughter so I know that before seeds can be
planted, the soil has to be made ready.
Old growth has to be removed and the ground tilled to bring up new,
fresh soil.
It is the same with our dreams.
Before we can begin to bring them into manifestation, we have to be
sure that we have gotten rid of any limiting thoughts or beliefs.
One of the ways to do this is through the use of “denials.”
This is a type of affirmation that denies that false beliefs have any
power over our lives or us. For
example, the realization of our dreams is often blocked by our fear of
failure. In that case, a useful
denial would be: I do not fear failure.
It has no power to stop me from pursuing my dreams.
Another way of making a denial is in the form of a release, such as:
I release the fear of failure from my consciousness.
Once we have cleaned out the old “stuff,” the next step
is to be sure that the soil has the proper nutrients in it.
“Affirmations” are great fertilizers for our consciousness.
Affirmations are prayers in the form of statements of Truth, such as:
The Christ within me gives me the strength, wisdom, and courage I need to
fully realize my dreams.
Now that we have cleared the field and fertilized the
soil, we are ready to plant the seed of our dream.
Here are a few ways to plant seeds:
·
Share your dream with a
trusted friend or counselor.
Choose someone who will listen without judgment and give you support no
matter what; someone who will allow you to discuss your fears and your
expectations – and to freely explore possibilities for bringing your dream
into reality.
·
Journal about your
desire – Why do you want this dream to come true?
How does thinking about this dream make you feel?
How will it improve your life?
What are you willing to change in your life in order to bring it
about?
·
Construct a Vision
Board. Collect words and
pictures from magazines that represent the essence of your dream.
Paste these onto a poster board and put the completed picture
somewhere that you will see it everyday.
This will remind you of what it is you want to bring forth from your
dream seed and help you to see it growing.
Once the seeds are planted in the field, we have to be
sure that they get plenty of water and sunshine.
We have to keep putting positive thoughts and actions out into the
world to help our seeds to grow.
We have to keep weeding out any limiting thoughts that threaten to choke up
our garden and stop us from realizing what we want most.
As I said, it takes a lot of work.
Yet, in the end, if there is a dream sleeping in our heart, waiting
to spring forth - isn’t it worth the hard work?
My prayer for you this season is that the garden of your
consciousness blooms easily and abundantly.
And, to the “mother” in each of us – that creative nature and divine
potential – I say, “Happy Mothers Day!” every day of our lives.
Blessings in Love and Peace,
Rev. LaVern Watters
May 2008
Breadcrumbs is the sole
intellectual property of Reverend LaVern Watters and is published on this
website with the express permission of the author.
Walking the Labyrinth
In the summer of 2006 I
made one of my periodic pilgrimages to
As I walked the labyrinth it struck me that it is a true reflection of the spiritual journey. In the beginning, I found myself coming very close to the center, separated from it only by a single painted stripe. Then, slowly, I saw that I was moving further and further away from the center. I was reminded of how I felt years ago when I discovered Unity and began following a spiritual path in earnest. I was elated at first, feeling as though I was so close to God. closer than I had ever been before. Yet, in time, that feeling passed and I soon found myself wondering: what I am I doing wrong? Why was it that the harder I tried to .find. God, I seemed to be further away? There were even times when I forgot that I had committed myself to a spiritual path, and I found myself doing things and making decisions that were not in alignment with my highest good.
The path moved back, toward the center. Then, slowly, it wandered outward, back inward, and out again . until I was treading a path on the very outer edge of the circle. Suddenly, there was a sharp turn inward and I found myself headed straight for the center. How true to life this seemed! So often, when I feel that I am the most removed from my Christ center, if I stay focused on the NOW moment, in the blink of an eye I find myself experiencing a God-moment. The beauty of a flower pops out at me; I hear the sweet singing of a morning bird; I enjoy the exuberance of a child.s smile; I receive a compliment on a hard-worked project.
Recently I was walking a different labyrinth with a friend. It was a smaller version set in a neighborhood park. A woman brought two young children into the area surrounding the labyrinth. They started to walk the path but quickly grew bored with the seemingly pointless meandering so, with the usual direct-mindedness of children, they ran to the center. I thought: how wonderfully simple! If only we could always step directly from our challenging circumstances to our spiritual centers . what joyous lives we would lead! Instead, we often wander aimlessly . lost in our confusion and fear, forgetting that what we are really looking for is a connection with Spirit. It is during those times that we most need to refocus on our spiritual journey. Here are some suggestions on how to do that:
• Make prayer and meditation a priority. Don.t abandon time in prayer simply because it doesn.t seem to be working
like it once did. In fact, now is the time to increase your time in prayer,
try a new meditation technique, or find a prayer partner.
• Connect to a spiritual community. If you attend a
church, be sure to keep going on a regular basis. If church does not feed
you, seek out a spiritual support group. Take a class or workshop. Find a
spiritual counselor. Go on a retreat.
• Give of yourself in sacred service. Volunteer at
church or in a community organization. Help a friend. Assist a young person.
Allow yourself to be an expression of Love in action.
• Focus on the good in your life. Make a gratitude
list. Take a walk and notice how beautiful everything is. Have lunch with a
friend. Make a special point of saying .Thank You, God!. every day.
The message of the labyrinth is simple: whatever circumstances arise, stay focused on your spiritual path and trust that Spirit will guide you through the turmoil and restore peace in your life. Remember that the labyrinth is rigged. As long as you stay on the path, you will always find your way back to center.
