Reflections on a Better Life!

This spiritual blog is about our personal and spiritual journey to God. Given the uncertain state of politics in America and so many unresolved social problems in the world (which could threaten the very survival of humanity) let's reflect on how a state of God-Consciousness can help us have a better life today, and create a healthier, more peaceful world for each other.

I  am getting real sick of the culture of violence in the world. Look at all of the carnage we have lived through in our lifetime:  race riots, assassinations of beloved leaders, serial killings, gang and cartel murders, too many wars, and too much terrorism at home and abroad.

For inexplicable reasons, governments seem unable to stop the violence. Religions haven’t helped much either; some even justify the killing of innocent people in the name of their extremist beliefs. Can’t we do anything about this? One might think the human race is surely doomed.

I still believe in the power of the positive. Dr. Eben Alexander, author of Proof of Heaven, truly impressed us with hopeful lessons he learned from his near death experience (NDE). Here are several of his enlightening ideas:

* “We are each eternal beings.”
* “The single most import force or principle in the universe is unconditional Love.”
* “We are all One.”

Skeptics and naysayers doubt the veracity of Dr. Alexander’s NDE. They suggest that all such experiences are merely chemically induced delusions and hallucinations caused by a dying brain. However, Dr. Jeffrey Long and many others offer a line of evidence that herald NDEs as true representations of external consciousness; e.g., “crystal-clear consciousness; realistic out-of-body experiences; heightened senses; consciousness during anesthesia; perfect playbacks; family reunions with the deceased; same children’s experiences; worldwide consistency; powerful aftereffects and life changes.”

What if consciousness really continues after physical death? What if we don’t need NDEs to experience a profound spiritual awakening? Maybe we can shift attitudes via the spiritual path and usher in a better life on earth today.

These ideas excite me with their endless possibilities of healing and positive social change. When we begin to love ourselves unconditionally and follow the teachings of The Way Shower ("love your neighbor as much as you love yourself; and love God with all your mind, heart, soul, and strength.") Heaven on Earth could be realized.

In other words, when we know and feel a loving and personal connection to Spirit, this kind of God- Consciousness can help us transcend all that is negative and put us in a heavenly state of being happy, joyful, at peace, and open to new ways to solve personal problems and world challenges.

Along these lines I highly recommend you check out this book, Love Changes Things: Even in the World of Politics by Caroline Cottom: Our Review

We can have a better life. We can create a healthier world. The answer is to hold on to the faith in Unconditional Love.

 Hope you will visit us on Hometown Reads to get to know us better: Gary and Susan Hometown Reads

Yours in Love and Light,
Gary and Susan Eby

Reflections on Anger

Hi Everyone,

Today we are going to talk about anger:

Despite our intentions to be loving, forgiving, non-judgmental, our human buttons can be pushed and we can react in angry ways. 

For example, while we are driving someone cuts us off in traffic.  Suddenly we feel angry and we want the driver who did it to suffer in some way.  We may honk our horn, yell, or even give him or her a certain hand gesture.

There are times when life seems to treat us unfairly.  We can lose our job, through no fault of our own.  Loved ones can turn against us.  Out of the blue, we can experience a severe life threatening illness.  Marriages can end.  Some have lost their  homes.  The list is long and goes on and on... from the simple fates to heavy difficulties.

It's very human to get angry and frustrated when these things happen in our lives.  Sometimes our anger can turn into rage or aggressiveness.  Sometimes we turn the anger on our self, usually making everything worse.  This can take the form of depression, and other behaviors that can be unproductive and harmful to our self.  Anger can lead to long standing resentments whereby we lose control of reason and actually engage in hurting other people.

What can we do with all this angst we may be feeling?  First it is important to recognize what we are feeling and face the feeling.  Then we need to start breathing.  Long, deep breaths, until we feel our emotions are becoming under control.  We could embrace an affirmation like "I am in control of my emotions and, I refuse to hurt myself or others".

Forgiveness is very powerful when dealing with anger.  Forgiveness trumps anger every time.  Why?  Because God is all about forgiveness.  God forgives through us.  When we need help, we put our mind on God and say, "God forgives through me, and I forgive this situation, knowing God is my source and will provide for me always."

Granted, certain situations might appear unjustified and unforgivable.  We're talking here about child abuse, war, some crime perpetrated against us or a loved one, even inexplicable natural disasters.  At some point we feel angry with God.  How can Spirit let these things happen?

He doesn't.  People have free will.  People make choices.  A child abuser is making a choice to hurt a child; countries start wars for no apparent reason; crime comes into our lives without warning; natural disasters kill and displace people.

So, what is left for one to do in these situations?  To the best of your ability turn all your burdens over the source of your faith.  Remind yourself these terrible actions are not a punishment brought down upon you for some thing you have done.  Look out and reach out in faith.  Ask for guidance from your Inner Voice.

Maybe you will be the one with the boat who saves several people during the flood.  Maybe you will be the one to start a protest against the war.  Maybe you will be the one to turn in the child abuser.  And, maybe, you will be the one who forgives the person who committed a crime against you.  The Inner Voice will tell you what to do.  Listen for it.  Be ready for it.  Then act.  Don't wait for someone else to do the work; you are to be about your Father's business.  You must act.

Susan and I realize that occasionally the pain, suffering, hurt, and anger is so great that one may not hear guidance from within.  This is the time to reach out for help and lean on the strength and wisdom of spiritual leaders. therapists, counselors, doctors, or others in the healing professions.  Not only is God within us, God works through others to help us get through this confusing and challenging world.

We can't promise you that you and those around you won't be angry at times, but we want to remind you that YOU have choices and YOU, with God's guidance, determine what happens in your life and how you handle your anger.

Ok, friends,
Please ponder these ideas
Try them out in your life
Tell us how it worked for you

In Light, Love, and Courage,
Gary and Susan Eby

Reflections on the Future

Many of us spend our time in the future. We are thinking about whether we are going to get that raise, or find the right partner to share our lives with, or  having enough money to pay our bills, and so on and so forth. The list gets longer and longer. We are so set in the future we don't see the possibilities available to us now.

It's difficult to live in the now, but it is important.  Because when we live in the future we are missing opportunities that Spirit provides.

Maybe we need to find a different job. Maybe there is an opening right in front of us that we don't see. The same is true with finding the right partner and handling our finances. So what do we do?

Let's realize that God provides us with endless, creative energy. When we tap into this Consciousness, we able to release all our human burdens, doubts, fears, and concerns. We are then free to receive the Creator's gifts of Divine Guidance and Grace. God never let's us down. Our responsibility is to remain open, that's all we have to do.

An open heart with an open mind will see right now, in this very moment, that God is working in and through us.  We are never detached from the Source. All we need we have available  right now.

Our own human will cuts us off. We feel we must take control and do the work. Often this leads to lots of disappointments, frustrations, fear and anxiety.

Susan and I have tried controlling all sorts of things in our lives. Our research demonstrated, this doesn't work very well. So we decided to start turning things over to God. Many amazing things have happened with this shift in awareness.

Susan, as you know, suffers from a Bipolar condition. When her psychiatrist decided to retire we started to panic. How would we find the right doctor?  Would we have to drive an hour and a half for an appointment? Would the new doctor mesh emotionally with Susan? So many unanswered questions. However, when we let go of all of this worry and trying to control the situation, we remembered to turn to God. (Isn't it ironic that we end up turning to Source after we have tried everything by our self?)  After turning it over, we found a doctor who meets all of Susan's needs and is an integral part of her healing. She now takes less medications and is a happier person.

We also prayed for prosperity and abundant living. This worked out too. We were able to purchase a beautiful home that we thought was beyond our financial reach. We went through a period of financial lack and surprisingly little checks started coming in the mail. A big demonstration of this is when Susan was told she has liver disease. The doctors told us that eventually she would need a transplant. We started praying for healing and guidance. But in the mean time,  the medical bills for her treatment started piling up. She was guided to turn to her dad for help. He gave her a credit card with a limit of $25,000, which covered everything.

It is the Father within who does the work. All we need to do is the following: go into the Silence; pray for guidance;  listen to the Divine;  stay in the moment; and  accept the gifts that are all around us. If we are living in the future we can't do this. We have to give up human control and open our hearts to feeling the presence of Unconditional Love with Unlimited Opportunities.

Sending you peace and joy in the moment today,
Gary and Susan Eby

Reflections on Emotions

Our emotions are with us constantly. It seems like there is no getting away from them. Many times these emotions and feelings are negative. For example, 'I can't do it', 'I am no good', 'Why was I ever born?', 'There is nothing good in my life'.

Do any of these thoughts haunt you? It seems even when you are in a good place, these thoughts can permeate your mind. When we hold on to thoughts like these we wallow in depression, despair, anger, frustration, guilt, and emotional pain. Because we are feeling like this and don't know how to turn them around, we strike out at other people, often misinterpreting what they say in an attempt to help.  You ignore the natural beauty around you.  You sulk. What can you do to fight the forces of your negative state of mind?

Some  simply ignore the negative emotions, hoping they will just go away. Sometimes people obsessed with these negative thoughts turn to drugs, alcohol, food, inappropriate sex, gambling, and other harmful addictions.

You might  try the power of positive thinking. Obviously our thoughts do have an impact on our emotions. If we change the thoughts we can help relieve the emotions. However, just thinking positive doesn't necessarily lift you from a deep depression. Also, if you are reliving significant resentments about past experiences, just saying you will be happy today may not be enough to set you free.

You can always turn to your faith. This is why Susan and I  have been recommending prayer and meditation.  It doesn't replace your faith, it strengthens it. First a few deep breaths will slow things down. This puts us in the moment. Centers us. It doesn't take a long time to get yourself centered. You don't have to go into a deep and involved meditation. All you need at this point is to breathe.

After you feel you body calm down along with your mind and heart, you see the situation clearly. Your stressful emotions begin to subside.  You start to connect to Spirit and you let the positive energy of God permeate your being. If you truly practice this simple system, you will find  your negative feelings and thoughts evaporate.

You can also say a short affirmative prayer: such as, I AM worthy; I AM good; I can accomplish my goals; I AM a child of God, perfect in every way right now. These little prayers are very powerful. They can change your perception in an instant if you are open to them.

For this process to work effectively, it requires you to surrender, and have faith that God will take care of all.

This is not easy to do when you are in turmoil. It needs daily practice. When you feel calmer, it's wise to reach out for help. There are many ways to do this.

Most of us turn to a friend or family member for help. But sometimes this isn't possible. Your minister, doctor, or therapist can all be useful in this process.  You can ever go online to find groups that meet your needs.  If you still find yourself suffering, you can find many useful  books.

We urge you to try this process at least once during your day. You find it easier and easier to accomplish a peaceful state of being. We are more than our thoughts and emotions. We are Divine Children of God always connected the Source of  Good.

Yours in faith, understanding, and love,
Gary and Susan Eby.

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Reflections on Faith

Hello Everybody,

Faith comes in different forms. For instance, people talk about blind faith. To us this means that someone accepts a religious point of view without question. 

Gary and I have discovered a way to experience faith by going within.  This works for us.  It may not work for you.  Not because you fail, but because you may be hesitant  to walk a different path.  As we have said before, there is no 'right way' to find Spirit.  However, we do encourage you to try prayer and meditation with an open mind and open heart.

For us, prayer and meditation are simply a part of our everyday living.  We don't pray for 'things', we pray for healing, or abundance, or for a friend that's having a tough time.  Our prayers come from the heart.  We speak to God in a positive way, such as:  I AM a child of God, and I do not inherit illness.  This is an affirmative prayer that was often spoken by Myrtle and Charles Fillmore (the founders of Unity).  We use affirmative prayers to express our gratitude for all that we do have... thanking Spirit for our new day.  We trust He will provide for us and keep us safe.  He will meet all of our needs.

We meditate to hear what God is telling us, and do our best to try and follow his directions.  His observations never lead us down the wrong path (except when our ego gets in the way). 

For instance, we had a neighbor who was very controlling and devisive.  It was hard to forgive him, as we have been told to do by the Way Shower, Jesus Christ.  We tried to forgive him, and in some moments we felt the forgiveness, but we often took it back.  This is not unusual.  So, we had to continue to forgive him, and ourselves, for feeling so much conflict.  We allowed him to be who he was while maintaining our own balance and self esteem. 

We followed the path God set before us... stepping out in faith to accomplish peace without giving up our core values.

One might ask after reading our thoughts about faith, if we have faith in Jesus Christ. Of course we have faith in all that is Divine. Jesus often stated, "I can do nothing of myself; it's the Father within that does the works." 

Jesus had phenomenal faith. He was continuously connected to the Divine. He often went off by himself to pray and mediate and discover his Divine Guidance.  We believe in  all of Jesus' invaluable teachings and the beautiful examples he set through his perfect faith in the Father.

There were times Jesus didn't want to follow the path God had set out for him. But because his faith was so strong he was able to surrender his will and be about his Father's business. Jesus is a perfect example of faith based upon a deep understanding of our connection to the Divine.

There have been many prophets, sages, and incredible spiritual leaders throughout time. We will be talking about this in a future blog.

Yours in Faith,
Gary and Susan Eby

Reflections on Worthiness

Good Morning!

Today we're going to give you our ideas about worthiness.

Many of us don't feel we deserve good things in our lives.  We often feel down and depressed.  Where do these feelings of worthiness come from?  Usually it starts in childhood.  A parent, a teacher, a relative, for example, might say something or do something that starts this chain of feeling unworthy.

You also might feel bad about yourself when you fall short on accomplishing a goal or a project.  For example, maybe your dream of becoming a supervisor at your job, or becoming a teacher, or becoming a writer, or a musician, is not realized.  The list can go on and on. You may be concerned regarding your body image, or your physical attractiveness, relationships, or depression. If you do 'fail' (in whatever goal you are trying to accomplish) you beat yourself up and tell yourself you just weren't worthy of accomplishing your goals.

You never fail.  You are always good enough.  What truly happens is that God continues to guide you to a better path.  As Divine Beings, a part of God, we need to realize the unlimited opportunities God provides.

Perhaps God needs you to be something else in this world.  Maybe a doctor, or a minister, or a dancer or singer... again the list can go on and on.  As far as the more personal things (attractiveness, relationships, etc.) God doesn't care.  You are as S/He created you.  You are love, you are light, you are unlike anyone else in this world, and you are perfect.  This is what God sees... His own perfection.

You have a right to be happy in this moment of time.  Just open your mind and heart to discover what brings you joy. 

Through meditation, we can listen to our inner voice, which guides us to what God needs us to be in this life.  What do you really want to do in your life?  What calls to your heart?  It could be something simple, or something more complex, but you are always connected to your Higher Self, your God self, and you can discover what God needs of you. 

Most importantly you can spend time daily opening your heart to feeling the presence of Unconditional Love.  Since God is absolute love, and our True Self is a perfect expression of this love, we have intrinsic value and worth just by being alive.

God never judges.  God never retaliates.  God never criticizes.  God never believes any one of us is unworthy.  You are a true child of God and S/He accepts you in your totality, just as you are, right now.

Words from the past that tell you, or lead you to believe you are unworthy,  are simply ghosts of the past.  You can be whatever we want.  We are worthy... always.

In Light and Love,
Gary and Susan Eby

Reflections on Spirituality

Do you think there is a difference between spirituality and religion? Of course there are many remarkable and inspiring religions in the world.  Most religions proscribe a set of doctrines, dogma, and organized rituals designed to bring you in contact with the Divine. Whereas, spirituality sets you completely free to explore your own inner journey to God.

Susan and I are sharing our spiritual journey with you. We believe strongly that you are completely free to reject everything we say about the nature of Divinity. Our hunch is that since God expresses Infinite Good, Light, and Love, there are probably an infinite number of ways to experience your God-Connection.

For example, recently I was plagued with some perplexing and difficult situations.  It had to do with trying to control the nature and outcomes of some community groups with which I was participating. Despite all I did, all I prayed for, all that  I cajoled and recommended, I could not manifest the hopes, dreams, and goals I envisioned for these organizations.  This caused me a great deal of stress, frustration, worry, pressure, and angst.

Can you relate to having some pressure inside of you that hangs on and refuses to go away? There are probably an endless list of problems, challenges, and setbacks, right?

From a religious point of view, one solution might be to ask God to forgive me for my sins.  From a spiritual perspective, Susan recommend that I go within and set my self free by being kind, loving, gentle, and forgiving of myself.  Can you see the difference here?

I was forgiving myself for trying so hard to control things. It was a mistake, a very human one. I was truly sorry.  By loving myself unconditionally, I was able to surrender completely to Spirit and Divine Guidance.  Wow! I felt immediate relief.  I remain open today to new possibilities and all the different options that God will present.

Spirit is every where, all we need do is reach in and connect.  God is not outside of you or me.  We are already Divine Beings, always connected to the Father.

What works for us may not work for you. But if you are dissatisfied with trying one way to find joy, freedom from fear and useless anger, becoming a less critical and controlling person and following a serene and loving path, you might be willing to go on your own spiritual journey within.

For those of you interested in discovering more about the nature of spirituality here is wonderful resource for your to visit: Spirituality & Religion

Yours in Love and Light,
Gary and Susan Eby