Living Consciously July 25, 2009

Dear friends,

There seems to be a powerful energy of chaos swirling through our individual and collective lives right now. Relationships are falling apart only to come back together with healed partners; those traits which were so destructive are no longer being tolerated and our personal need to clean up our own act is essential.

We are striving to create a spiritually awakened world. This cannot happen in an environment of anger, addiction, fear or suppressed emotions. We are being led from within to take our own lives very seriously, in the sense that how we are inside ultimately informs how we behave. How we behave is our contribution to either peace or war, lack or prosperity, health or sickness, love or fear, light or darkness.

Many of our cherished formats for being us in the world are disintegrating. They simply do not work anymore because the vision of a world that is operating from love and compassion, peace and equality will not coalesce around a nucleus of selfishness, bigotry and ignorance.

The future of the world is up for grabs right now. Will we do our part in making it a better place than it has ever been? If our answer is yes, then we must look to ourselves. Are we being authentic and transparent? Are we inclusive in our love for humanity? Are we harbouring the demons of the past only to have them take over in times of stress? Or are we laying our old selves on the altar of transformation? Are we ready to be who we have always been underneath the facade of our beliefs?

As someone wise once said: If not now, when? If not us, who? If not this, what?

Peace and blessings,

Rev Carol Carnes

Living Consciously July 27, 2009

Dear friends,

Today we begin the New Thought New World conference in San Diego. The work behind the scenes to produce this diverse event has been a year- long effort. Like any other public production, it took team work and creativity to put the framework in place. Next came the logistical aspect which required phone calls and more meetings and negotiations and general follow through. Our own creative ideas are the first step in building a new experience, but they do not turn themselves into actuality without our help. It takes our agreement, enthusiasm, cooperation and diligence to give them life and form.

A kind of spiritual immaturity causes us to think that we are not involved in the coming true part of our dreams. True, there is a creative intelligence at work but it comes through us, not to us. That is a basic principle which is so easily forgotten. We are co-creators of our experience. Our part in the evolution of an idea into form is to be a constant participant in its birthing. This may mean that we speak and act as if it were already so, that we proclaim affirmatively that the very thing we seek is ours to express, that we develop and announce our gratitude for the reality of it in our lives.

Just as it is impossible to hold a successful event if no one has been invited, so it is unlikely that we will realize our dreams if we do not court the presence of it within ourselves. Whatever it may be, do not say “this is mine to have; rather announce this is mine to do, to express, to give, to experience, right here and right now. I know that it grows and takes on life and form as I give it a place in my life this moment and the next and the next”.

Peace and Blessings,

Rev Carol Carnes