Really?

Is it just me that can be taken back when "spiritual" people can be so mean? I'll be the first to admit that I have my moments where I step out of kindness mode and into the ego, but I rarely would say that I am purposely mean spirited.

I'm talkin' mean spirited spiritual people. You know the one's that take every opportunity to tell you just how much they know, how many degrees they have in the healing arts, what spirit guide they channel and so on, but are the first to tear your head off for some insignificant thing.

I've met my share believe me! Well known and not so well known, but mean just the same. Sometimes I would be so shocked that all I could do was stand there with my mouth hanging open and then other times all I could muster to speak over and over was "Really, Are you kidding me?"

Now hear me, this is not an opportunity for those of you reading this to retell stories of those moments where I did mess up and acted a tad nonspiritual. I'm owning up, thank you very much, an while making a point all at the same time.

Spiritual people are allowed to stumble, hence the word PEOPLE, but what I'm questioning now is when we do what we do, and act like we don't know we are doing it! When I was growing up in the Baptist church there was the bumper sticker that read, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." I always kinda' liked that statement, but now I realize that we are all forgiven, if we choose to be. God is forgiveness, Spirit is love. All is forgiven if I will just forgive myself.

Maybe we could create a bumper sticker that says "Caution: Spiritual Person working on healing my stuff!" As the minister of a pretty decent sized congregation, I meet those who are deeply committed to working on their issues, and then there are some that don't think they have any to work on at all. Claiming to be spiritual, claiming to know the truth, doesn't make it so. Does it?

I must put the principles of spirituality, of truth, into action to become that which I say I BE~
I know when I stumble, I know when I lash out at another person the moment I do it. Don't you? There is nothing wrong in experssing an emotion, or speaking what needs to be spoken, but somewhere we must take responsibility for how we do what we do.

If I must be mean, if I must make you wrong, or small to feel right, or better about who I am, then I have missed the mark completely. Spirituality isn't about sitting in the lotus position singing Kum bah yah all day, which there are days I would love nothin' more.... :)

Spirituality is about us striving to clean up our pain, our sorrow and baggage that lies within us. When we begin to release those things from our consciousness, we begin to be calmer, kinder, more compassionate beings.

I am not so much here to judge those who have those moments of being hateful and mean, I am here to speak to that spirit within me and to ask myself where do I do those things in my life and better yet, why? When I do it, when I have done it, it was usually because I was hurting or feeling a need to justify or be right about something. Did the negative behavior fix the situation or bring me peace. No! It only added to the pain and confusion.

The only real solution in finding peace within us, is being that peace and letting it come forth to pave the road called life.

So if you are spiritual, a teacher of truth, and advocate of peace and love on planet Earth, I thank you. If there is a moment when you are mad, upset, feel unworth and unloved for whatever reason, simply take a deep breath, speak your truth with love and let us love and support you and one another through a challenging time.

Rev. Dr. Helen Carry:

Sometimes you hear a name for years and wonder what they would be like, should you ever get the opportunity to meet them face to face. In August of this year I had to privilege of speaking at the International New Thought Alliance World Congress in Chicago and was introduced to one of those people that I had great respect for and truly admire. Rev. Dr. Helen Carry is one of the Associate Minister's at Rev. Dr. Johnnie Coleman's "Christ Universal Temple" in Chicago. As a fan of Rev. Johnnie's for many years, I had often heard mention Rev. Carry's name and knew that if she were working with Dr. Coleman, she had to be top notch.

I found upon meeting her, that she was gracious, kind and attentive to each person that she spoke with and that alone endeared her to me. In my travels and dealings with other minister's, author's and various celebrities you tend to find that some are not as warm and inviting as others. Rev. Helen is the real thing. She walks her talk, lives her principles and empowers you simply by loving you into the realization that you are a child of God.

I will be interviewing her on my radio show this afternoon and I am knowing that it will be an outstanding hour of inspiration and love.

Thank you Rev. Helen Carry for being centered in your connectedness with Spirit and being a powerful teacher to so many.

What Must I Change About ME?

I often wonder why it is when we encounter a difficult challenge in life, we usually want to place the blame outside ourselves. We want to say someone caused this to happen because they did something to us, or took something, or said something, that in turn created the mess we find ourselves standing in.

As the years pass I'm learning to stop being so quick to blame others, but to turn within and ask myself what did I do that allowed this energy, person or situation to be in my experience? When I am open and honest with ME, it is amazing how quickly I can find a solution to what I'm dealing with.

Self observation is a powerful tool in empowerment. Self examination allows us to stop playing the "blame game" in life and begin to take responsibility for how we live our lives. Is it always ME that causes a challenge I experience? No, but I can then question how can I find another way of looking at the lesson before me, heal it, learn from it and move on.

So no matter what the case may be; An argument with a friend, co-workers, or the relationship we long for is not manifesting. The question to ponder that could give us our greatest opportunity for growth could be "What must I change about me in order to become more healthy and whole?"

I am always ready to learn and grow, sometimes kickin' and draggin' my heels in the dirt, but learning as I go just the same.