Sticking with your New Year's Resolutions

Why do only 8% achieve success in following through a New Year's resolution to completion? Check out this article: https://tinyurl.com/ybzzf2z5

Applying the advice given from the "Mother Nature Network" on keeping resolutions, includes some very wise ideas such as telling others about your resolution to hold yourself accountable, planning milestones for yourself with rewards, and incorporating resolution action into your mornings rather than evenings if possible. Another thing, don't make your resolution too difficult or far-reaching -- it must be attainable -- it is probably a stretch, but that is good. Author Chanie Kirschner also advises those motivated for success to establish a habit with your resolution, to aim for three weeks of consistency, because then it is much more likely that it will stick.

With my spiritual eye on the news, I see that this is the time for encouragement, a time of recommitment. Now is the time for practical and encouraging steps. Now is the time to progress in reaching our goals. Because now is the time when resolutions are getting dropped or forgotten, now is the time to stop that error in its tracks. If more than 8% of us would keep our wonderful resolutions and aspirations alive, the whole of society would improve! So let's start again, start anew, or reassess and revise.

For example, take my New Year's Resolution. It is to express gratitude to God upon awakening -- before I'm even out of bed. It's a great habit. It opens the day up for God's love to pour in more freely and abundantly. Jesus was always giving his Father gratitude. This resolution has a powerful impact on the day, and it ripples out in loving and healing energy to everyone.

Now take another look at your top resolution.

1. Clearly define your resolution and your purpose for creating it (write this down)
2. Tell someone your resolution (hold yourself accountable; possibly get a partner)
3. Act on your resolution each morning/day (be consistent)
4. Set milestones and rewards for yourself (use a calendar to be sure you do)
5. Track your progress; assess set-backs; recommit (this might be a journal by your bed)
6. Motto: With God, all things are possible
7. Start again as needed (fresh, new)

Wonderful Christian healer, Mary Baker Eddy, teaches the divine secret behind successful demonstration of good, and it's straight from the Scriptures. It's the fact that Man (your true, spiritual and eternal being) is now the perfect reflection ("image and likeness") of the One perfect Creator, God. With the understanding and realization of your true identity as God's own likeness, you are empowered through grace and Christ to definitely demonstrate whatever good resolution Mind has put in your heart. In humble affirmation of "perfect God, perfect man," the power of the Almighty is behind all your efforts for good. I ask in His name that your resolutions be attained and that you thereby are blessed, and are a blessing to others.

Kentucky School Shooting: How can we lovingly give effective help?

It is sad, no devastating, to once again hear of a school shooting. Each one of us must bring our spiritual light to this situation to promote healing both physically and emotionally for those directly affected. Truly, this kind of thing affects every one of us more directly than we might realize. The link below will take you to CNN online to see the report.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/23/us/kentucky-high-school-shooting/index.html

Let us offer some Light of Truth and Love. Comforting is not an easy thing, but comfort comes from divine Love, and its gentle power holds us to Itself through the storm. It's an emotional storm. First, offer the stillness of holding one another silently in the presence of Love. Wordless comforting in prayer. Feel after the healing power of Love for those physically hit, and for those emotionally devastated. Silent, still, holding in Love. Know the Christ-presence is there and it is operating as Law.

Pray that the Christ enters in to the individual consciousness of each one connected to this tragedy, and that Christ is working in the perfect way, in God's own way for each one.

"Be still and know that I am God," (Psalm 46:10).

Spiritual Defense and Offense for Flu

THE PROBLEM:
On January 8, 2018, Op-Ed Contributors of the New York Times,  Michael Osterholm and Mark Olshaaker, assessed the flu situation as it stands worldwide. They warn of the probability of a global flu pandemic -- "occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population" (Merriam-Webster). Their message is that we are "not ready." They compare the conditions at the time of the disastrous 1918 Spanish-flu epidemic where it is said that between "50 and 100 million people" lost their lives, to today. The hope of discovering an effective vaccine, they say, is within reach of our technology, however, there is insufficient funding to accomplish this goal. There are four times as many people on the planet as in 1918, and transcontinental flights bring us into proximity with one another consistently, adding to the fear of disease spreading worldwide. The remedy in the form of an efficient vaccine in sufficient amount seems out of reach.

THERE IS AN ANSWER IN SPIRIT, TRUTH, AND DIVINE LOVE.
The purpose of the blog today, is to address this issue by turning those spiritually-minded individuals to the fact of an omnipotent, ever-present "help in times of trouble." Those studying the healing works and words of the Master, Christ Jesus, know the dominion he showed over every disease or sickness. He would not be afraid of flu, nor in danger of catching it. He said, "I am not of this world," therefore exempt from illness. He also said, "Ye are not of this world." What did he mean, and how will that protect you? Truth makes us free, Jesus taught. Your are not "of this world" because in reality, right this moment, you are purely spiritual. Spirit is the one true substance, and seeing this with your spiritual sense immediately begins to act practically on one's health and well-being. There is a "medicine of Mind" that Mary Baker Eddy expounds upon in her textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. The author healed thousands of people through her pure Christly prayer, and teaches us from Jesus' own words, how we can heal ourselves and others, too. Put on your Christly protection of increased spiritual understanding through your Bible study, prayer, and pure unselfish motives. Fear not, for the I Am that I Am is with you. Insist on the presence of God, Good; declare and feel that the Law of God, is the Law of Love, and is around you, your loved ones, and all.

Life-purpose

A new year is a new opportunity to examine life-purpose -- here is a Japanese idea, then taken to the "spiritual eye" viewpoint to expand and further bless.

While keeping an eye on the news for items to write and pray about with my readers, I stopped at a refreshing article with a Japanese, yet universal, perspective. Take a look: https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/blogs/ikigai-japanese-lifestyle-manifesto-four-questions?utm_source=CNN&utm_medium=desktop&utm_campaign=Jan2018. 

When you go to that page, the illustration is one you will want to copy to your own paper and think on filling out. The topic? Your life-purpose discovered in four main, and overlapping categories. The visual is most intriguing.

The concept of finding this integrated and balanced life-purpose, or “reason to get up in the morning,” is called ikigai.

Here are the questions, and then some spiritually-based answers for your further consideration.

1. What do you love to do?
2. What are you good at?
3. What does the world need from you?
4. What do you get paid for?

Step one — go to the article.

Step two — read it for help with your answers.

Step three — draw out the illustration.

Step four —  and fill in the overlapping circles.

Now we come to the part of prayer and spiritualization in consideration of this concept ikigai.

For the purest, spiritual help in answering the four questions, I’m going to the life of Christ Jesus as reported in the Gospels. If our Master were asked, What do you love to do? What might he say? I have realized that almost every statement he made has the word “Father” in it. This shows how much God, as Father, was continually at the front of his thought and in his heart. His words and actions clearly show what he loved to do. He loved to heal and to save, to awaken and teach, and he loved to do these things because they showed forth the Father — the goodness and the Love that is God.

What was Jesus “good at?” Speaking to the multitudes, inspiring, healing, reclaiming, reforming, awakening, and saving people. Look at his discourses, especially the one that has become known as the Sermon on the Mount. He was an open air preacher; this means that every word or story had to stick like an arrow in the consciousness of his hearers. Was he not “good at” parables? Was he not “good at” demonstrating God, Good? and did he not love to do these things?

What does the world need from him? We need his example, and we need to know the depth of his teachings. The world needs his perfect exemplification of Man as he is in God’s own likeness. The world needs to find the “way” through studying his words and his healing works. One of the best texts ever written to help the world understand Jesus’ teachings and example is one first published in 1875, written by Mary Baker Eddy, entitled Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. The second chapter, “Atonement and Eucharist,” contains some the most profound enlightenment and beautiful words ever written concerning Christ Jesus. We need his example and we need to follow it every day. We need his teachings, practical and relevant now.

What did Christ Jesus get paid for? He was not on a payroll, although he may have been paid in his earlier years as he worked with Joseph as a carpenter. He did not need a salary; he is the one who took few loaves and fishes and multiplied these to feed “5,000 men, besides women and children.” He is the one who told the fishermen who caught nothing to cast their net on the right side, after which there were so many fish filling it that they could barely bring it in. 

How might you answer these four questions from a spiritual viewpoint for yourself?

PS — you may like the youtube connected to the article linked above. The speaker is Marianna Pohgosyan. It is entitled: “In the Pursuit of Ikigai.”

Be in pursuit of your life-purpose that is connected totally to your spirituality, to Truth and Love. Be fulfilled and happy, for the kingdom of heaven, the reality of being, is already within you, and you are within it. The purpose of Life as God is to express Itself in the life that is YOU.