Thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
Holy Bible, Psalm 18:28

This morning’s readings brought me to consider the suffering some of us have experienced as part of this human journey. My heart opened wide as I thought about the healing that happens when we realize that in the midst of all that, we are so loved and cared for by that which created us. There is potential then for great forgiveness and understanding.

Yes, there is suffering but also there is enormous love and guidance for each of us as we weather and rise from the darkness and despair. That is what I’m so grateful for this day and every day. When our desire for something different and better is strong, we are ushered from the darkness into the light by a great force of goodness within us. The journey awakens us in a way we could never have reached otherwise. We look back on our suffering as the way, the truth and the life.

The suffering is over but we are brought to a place of compassion, understanding and forgiveness that we could not have attained otherwise. There is the power within us to rise from the ashes, to create a better life. When we recognize that power and choose it, there is no negative force that can stop our spiritual evolution. That’s how powerful the Love Intelligence is that governs this universe.

The same nature and characteristics of God are within us. When we choose to live from this understanding, we are powerful beyond measure. We are then lifted into the light; darkness disappears. Love will be our compass and will light our way.

How grateful I am to have chosen the light. How grateful I am for all my experiences—good and bad—which have shaped my becoming! How grateful I am to be living as love itself, waking into the light every day.

Affirmation
God is my rock, my salvation. I choose to live from the love and light within me. I am filled with thanksgiving!

Rev. Karen Wylie

We already live in a Perfect Universe, but It needs to be mentally seen and spiritually experienced before It can become a part of our everyday life.
Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

I am the seer in the midst of changing scenery. Everything may change but a part of me remains changeless. I do not fight against change for I know it is an inevitable part of life and may be the very thing that brings me to a greater understanding and knowing within myself. I am an ever-growing conscious participant in this, my earthly dance.

My passion for life is unbounded because I see the infinite possibility in all things. I am not afraid to live to the fullest because I know that I am supported in a loving universe. I see it, believe it and experience it.

I willingly let go of opposition. Today, I oppose nothing. I live in non-resistance. I find a greater truth when I refuse to oppose. I see with clarity what is before me and in that, I become a beneficial presence for healing and resolution.

The light within me draws light unto itself. I am grateful to live in the light. The light dispels the darkness. I’m constantly choosing how I respond to the ups and downs of life, knowing that by my choice, I’m creating my experience, good or bad.

I am empowered by my choosing. Do I want peace or do I want struggle? Do I want conscious communion or do I want separation? Do I want love or do I choose fear? Do I make my decisions based on my own inner wisdom, or do I succumb to the influence of those who I believe are more powerful than I?

I am the seer in the midst of an ever-changing world. I am the master of my own fate. I am a place where love reveals itself. I choose peace. I am.

Affirmation
My life overflows with goodness, grace, abundance, love, peace and prosperity! I am grateful for my ability to see so clearly!

Rev. Karen Wylie

…all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Holy Bible, Matthew 28:18

Most of us are adrift. We are not using our God-given talents. We are not allowing the wind to fill our sails. Have you ever seen a sailboat going at full speed? It is surging ahead in the dynamic flow of nature. If you are not sure whether you want to go right or left, you just lie there in the doldrums, your sail luffing, going nowhere fast.

We are like the sailboat. We need to get on course, head for our dreams and desires and quit getting in our own way with all our mind chatter about why it won’t work out. We need to trust the dynamic flow. Life is filled with course corrections, just as it is in sailing. Too much to the left and we stall; too much to the right and we may even turn completely around, going backwards instead of forward. But when you trim those sails just right, you move through the water, nothing stopping you, having access to all the innate, unlimited power of the universe.

It’s exhilarating getting out of your own way. What’s exhausting is sitting there in the doldrums with your sails flapping as you are trying to figure everything out, to make something happen because you are pretty sure you have to do it all yourself—you have to know the “how,” not just the “what.”

Just know the “what,” set your sails and get your little mind out of the way. Look around you, enjoy the beauty everywhere and see your goal in the distance. You are soon flying; you get there before you know it.

Life is like sailing. Sometimes we do get a little stuck, but there is always that perfect flow of nature that is for us, never against us. We want to get in harmony with it and ride, baby, ride!

Affirmation
I set my sails for love, peace, joy, freedom and prosperity, and I ride, baby, ride!

Rev. Karen Wylie

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22

Every time we interact with another, we are giving Spirit another opportunity to know itself, to love itself and to nurture itself. Those around us are here to help us learn, and the closer they are to us, the more courageous the possibility of our intimacy with them.

Do I dare reveal my true self to this one who appears to love me so completely? The more I can speak my truth from the loving place within me, the greater our intimacy grows. Nothing is there then to come between us; no negative thoughts are hidden. There is no secret agenda, no confusion, and we have an opportunity then to show up fully alive, fully clear and present, fully available to the love and joy which is our essential nature.

This is the greatest gift of all—to learn to be courageously intimate with the self and all others. This is true freedom. This is not easily attained—one has to have a certain level of self-awareness, but this is the gift that comes with self-awareness. We are no longer interested in our private trysts with separation—even from the one we’ve been married to for years.

We want to come out of hiding and we can do that because we’ve come to a level of self-love and self-appreciation that we can dare to be ourselves. We have fallen in love with the part of ourselves which is the very Spirit of Love within. It is that love that we wish to share with the world and those eyes we wish to look through in our seeing what’s before us.

Being me—now that is true freedom! The love grows within and expands out into the world, and I walk in clarity and courageous intimacy. I am free to be the fullness of who I am!

Affirmation
I walk in the light and love of God, courageously intimate with myself and all others!

Rev. Karen Wylie

This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to step a step without feet.
Rumi

So much of the time we think our good is somewhere down the line, in the future…that we will be “living our purpose” at some time in the future.  Well, surprise.  You are living your purpose right now…each word out of your mouth, each action you take.  That is why you must be impeccable with your word as Don Miguel Ruiz so beautifully has pointed out to us. 

I heard someone say recently that all the qualities of God that you so aspire to—those qualities that you want to experience in your life are verbs—actions, not nouns.  If you want to experience peace in your life, you must be peace.  If you want abundance, you must live abundance.  Abundance is all around you, awaiting your recognition of it.  You begin to live the qualities of God, moment-by-moment, day-by-day.

You say when my ship comes in, I’ll be happy.  No, be happy NOW!  Find things to be happy about now.  The Love Intelligence that is everywhere present is constantly flowing.  You are to learn to flow with it—not against it.  That’s when your “ship comes in”…not some time in the future, but right NOW!

You are so loved!  That’s a promise. You live in a loving, giving universe.  When you get in harmony with it and let go of all your tales of woe and reasons you can’t have it all, you will see that it is here now.  You are the creator of your experience.  That is hard to hear if your life looks bad.

Be love and experience it everywhere.  Be joy and watch how much fun shows up in your life.  Quit with the pity party and your old story.  Dance yourself into a new way of being.  The world is waiting for you to shine.  Do it NOW!

Affirmation
My life is filled to overflowing with love, peace, joy, abundance, and all good things!  I see it NOW!

Rev. Karen Wylie

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
~ Philippians 4:8

Before the house is built, the architect draws the plans. There is an idea in mind of what will be. We begin right there in the same way imagining the life we want to live. There is power in your vision. It is the beginning. We don’t realize that we are powerfully creating all the time with the thoughts we think and the choices we make as a result. We underestimate our own creative potential. Somehow we can often see it in others but never believe ourselves capable of such overwhelming greatness.

What if it were possible to create the life of your dreams? Oh granted, you would have to give up your pity party, your complaining and negative outlook on life. You would have to suspend your own critical judgment about who you are and your capabilities. It would be like walking down a path you’ve never walked before.

Infinite possibility…we are amazing beings living in an amazing world. When you give your attention to anything, you are building that thing into your consciousness, for good or evil. Free your mind of negativity. Rather build into your consciousness what you wish to see in your life. Recognize that you’ve been unconsciously creating all along and decide now that you will create only love, joy, prosperity, health and happiness and all the good things readily available to all of us. Build in mind the house you want to live in joyously ever after. It is your choice! Nothing is stopping you except your excuses for why it’s not possible.

In this bright New Year I think the time is now to live the life of your dreams, and I for one, with great love and blessings, welcome you into your own becoming!

Affirmation
I step into my power, my greatness, my love, and my joy! I am set free!

Rev. Karen Wylie

In my soul there is a temple, a shrine, a mosque, a church that dissolve, that dissolve in God.
Rabia

I am here in the midst of you though you may never have felt my presence.  I am the beginning, the middle and the end of your life’s story.  The sooner you acquaint yourself with me, the sooner you will find the joy, peace and harmony you seek, the sooner you will tap into your own deep dynamic creative power.

We often look for our good outside of ourselves, thinking that changing our job, our mate or where we live will bring us the happiness we seek.  In fact, some of us become great manifesters without any real connection to the Love of God within.  We create good things in our lives but they are not lasting—they are temporary fixes.  We can’t understand why we always find ourselves dissatisfied and unfulfilled.

Instead of playing on the surface of life, playing games with relationships, money and other material things, why not devote this new year to getting real, to discovering who you truly are as Love Itself.  Sit in the stillness long enough to develop a relationship with yourself, decide to have a loving relationship with your own inner being.  Discover the God within.  Discover that what you’ve been seeking has been here all along.  You’ve just been too busy looking elsewhere to realize it.

Dive deep Dear Ones.  The greatest Love you’ve ever known is not on Facebook or on your favorite dating site; it’s right where you are!  All that you desire is within….so close, so near.  It’s waiting for you to realize It’s presence.

Affirmation
I let go of my resistance and dive deep into the Love that I am.

Rev. Karen Wylie

The Love of God binds me to itself…and we shall journey through life hand in hand.
Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

Our salvation is in discovering the sacred and holy within us and what better time to do it than in a month which is loaded with that possibility.

Can I seek the sacred and holy even when I feel I’m forced to be with family members or others in my life who “drive me up the wall?”

You can do anything you want to do and the message is “love them anyway.” You will feel better in the doing of that. You will feel better staying in your own loving no matter what is going on around you. And, surprise upon surprise, you do have a choice about the best way to stay connected to your own love center. You are not obligated to suffer in the name of another, and your own suffering is your business and no one else’s.

What an opportunity to take dominion over your life! What an opportunity to live from the inside out. Dare you take that death-defying leap into the faith and trust that you are supported in a loving universe? Dare you be so kind and loving and even forgiving of yourself and others? Dare you decide to call forth in your own consciousness the life of your dreams?

It’s time to let go of past grievances and disappointments. The good news is that in each and every moment, we can begin again and have the life we desire. Gift yourself this holiday season the best gift ever…LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!

Affirmation
I’m willing to take the death-defying leap into faith and trust that I am always supported in a loving universe!

Rev. Karen Wylie

I arise and go forth into the Dawn of a New Day, filled with faith and assurance in the All Good. I arise; I arise and sing with joy!
Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind

There used to be an expression intended to “keep us in our place.” Someone would say, “Don’t be so high and mighty.” Ironically, the truth is that you are high and mighty. The Spirit of the Living God is within you. When you get beneath the surface—beneath all the shame, blame and guilt that has been weighing you down, there is a radiant light and love that is so pure and true within you.

Our divine purpose on the planet is to remove all the obstacles to being love…to being all that we came here to be. It has nothing to do with the self-aggrandizement of the ego. The bragging and boasting of the ego is most often magnified in one who is unsure of his or her own value and worth, rather than in one who knows the truth and has a sense of self-love and self-acceptance.

It doesn’t matter what you’ve been through or the mistakes you’ve made in the past. The most important thing is for you to forgive yourself about anything and everything that has happened. Today is a new day, a day to decide that you matter, that you are willing to see yourself as worthy and good. Think a new thought, “God created me to live in a high vibration of well being. I am love! I am light! My needs are met fully!”

Surprise upon surprise—now I recognize myself and see myself as God sees me. I AM HIGH AND MIGHTY!

Affirmation
I see the truth. I am light! I am love! I am high and mighty!

Rev. Karen Wylie

How long will grown men and women in this world keep drawing in their coloring books an image of God that makes them sad?
Meister Eckhart

How do you describe the indescribable in this three-dimensional world? It’s not easy. It seems the best we can do is to make God in our own image and likeness, having beautiful human qualities of love, compassion, and forgiveness or the human frailties of anger, jealousy and spitefulness.

As our consciousness grows, we come to see in time that God cannot be reduced to an anthropomorphic being like us. This thing we call God is so much more than that. As the Christ consciousness expands within us, all limitations fall away. We begin to see, truly see, that we are in this world but not of it. We are no longer defined by our little self but rather live in the vastness that is unlimited and everywhere present. God, as we know it, is a state of being! We rise above the words to describe it. It is all encompassing. God is everything—all we would call good and all we would call bad.

In 1980, Mount St. Helens in Washington erupted, spewing ash, rock and hot gases into the air, devastating the surrounding landscape. It blew down or scorched 230 square miles of forest. When we visited, it looked like a scene from another planet, scary in a way. Yet as I looked around, I saw one little green shoot already coming out of the soil. I’ll never forget it—new birth! Today that area is totally renewed. That is the nature of God—a constant state of being…a new beginning, a new life! Out of the darkness comes the light!

So we rise into a state of being of acceptance and allowing, of love and joy, past the need to judge right and wrong, seeing the infinite possibility in all things.

Affirmation
I choose to see and live in a world that is always for me, never against me! God is a state of being! I am that I am!

Rev. Karen Wylie