Richard Bach’s quote, “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” pretty much says it all! We see this world, and all of our experiences in it from the consciousness of the caterpillar, reacting and re-reacting to the changing images and sounds of this physical world. However, if we will lift our eyes, and see from the consciousness of the butterfly, we become totally unaware of what the caterpillar consciousness and the doubts and fears with which we were confined! We are free! In truth, we always were! However, our unawareness of our oneness with the One kept us bound. This week, we are invited to let go and let God lift us on those spiritual wings which have been ours from the beginning!

This July 4th, as we celebrate America as a free people and give thanks for those who fought to secure our freedom, we are invited to realize that freedom is a natural gift, born of consciousness. In Paul’s letters to the churches, written WHILE IMPRISONED, he exhibited that freedom to amazing degrees! Freedom is not dependent upon circumstances, but rather upon consciousness! It comes from within! Ours is to recognize, accept and celebrate it in the face of ALL outer conditions! Only we, ourselves can limit it, and then, only by our thoughts and words! So, let’s let Freedom ring forth from WITHIN, showing and leading the way for those around us to join in the song! God bless America!

When you turn on a light in a room, the darkness does not fight it! The darkness has no power! We have within us an inner light–a Christ-Light–that does not, like the sun, disappear at the end of the day. However, life on the material level, is cyclical; good times follow not-so-good. The sun seems to disappear, or may be blocked by clouds. Ours is to look WITHIN for that light which is ALWAYS shining, which is our strength THROUGH those darker moments, our faith in the ABSOLUTE GOOD, which IS GOD, and which MUST, by LAW, manifest itself in and through and as us–as we ALLOW it to! It is the I AM inside of each of us! Shine on!!

There is no perfect earthly father–only our Heavenly Father is perfect. However, the earthly father God gave us is, or was, perfect FOR US! Through him; through both his strengths and weaknesses, we will learn those lessons for which we have come into this world! For THIS, we bless and honor our fathers, and those father-figures who have entered our lives, this day! We give thanks for them and for their contributions toward who and what we are today; our wisdom, our strengths, our compassion and our ability to see the best in others, even if they don’t see it in themselves! Happy Father’s Day!