A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING

A New Awareness

As with any journey of discovery, there comes a time when you must leave the comfort of what you know as a light-hearted view of life to explore the true nature of your reality. With this in mind comes the realization that this newsletter must now begin to evolve to present more in-depth information so that you can further your own journey of discovery and kindle within the curiosity to explore your own spiritual truths and path.

Grace

Grace can seem to be a simple enough concept to be well understood, but do we really know what to expect, what to see, feel or hear when surrounded by Grace? We all have an idea of what Grace is and what if any Grace is a part of our life. Over the last few weeks I've had a number of people mention the topic of Grace; of needing the support provided by it, of needing to maintain Grace while "under fire," and of continuing to walk in Grace in the face of overwhelming abuse and negativity.

Grace is defined in Webster's dictionary as; harmony of form and manner, the love of God, Divine blessing, a state of spirit or mind that is pleasing to God, a power from God that enables one to achieve such a state and any good will. We all search for Grace in our lives but Grace as defined by Webster's is limiting in its potential and in its influence in our lives. We tend to put so many barriers around our expectations and our lives, that we shut out all inherent samples of Grace from our lives. We begin to feel deserted, alone, unloved, unwanted and most of all without any hope of survival or redemption from the drama, suffering and pain of our every day existence. Yet beyond all of the extraneous circumstances that plague us, we are surrounded by simple yet profound instances of Grace.

A case in point ....

A woman is going through some very emotional, and financially draining scenarios; loss of income, disabled child, and a multitude of ongoing, highly emotional family dramas. She is slowly sinking into a spiral of feeling unloved, uncared for, abandoned, hopelessness and more. In these times of trouble, she prays for a sign that not only will things be well but that Grace is alive and truly part of her life at this instant in time. For sometimes, faith is all that is left. Then she goes about her daily life, daily struggles and attending to the task of living.

Nothing striking, nothing unfamiliar for any of us. Now the beauty that is Grace.

Within a few days of asking for a sign that Grace still walks with her, she receives a phone call from a woman whose name is Grace. She attends a bake sale at a church called Grace United and she talks to one of the church women who baked many of the goodies that she bought ... her name was Grace also. This woman Grace also mentions a book sale in support of a community living project, where this woman finds a treasure trove of books, both spiritual and healing for pennies. A neighbouring family that she hasn't been able to meet until now, comes over and the mother introduces her daughter, Grace.

Grace has surrounded her constantly yet its gentle touch and influence have been hidden away by the drama of every day living. In asking for a sign and in truly being aware and conscious of what was asked for ... Grace appeared to her. This time in a physical form that could not be denied. A concrete expression of blessing and joy, of love and support and an acknowledgement of her prayers.

Yet Grace is much more than just a blessing from God. As we are a part of that infinite entity, and we being Divine, produce and walk in our own Grace, which is God's Grace. Sometimes the chore of living makes us forget about the Grace that we exude, so we look for or ask for reminders to come into our lives. Do you have someone, a friend perhaps, that you call on in times of stress and hurt? Is it not their Divine sense of self and thereby their Divine Grace that we seek comfort and assurance of the "rightness" of events in our life? Is there not someone who is calm and acts as a mooring when the winds of storms try to break our spirit? We write these people into our lives, they come bidden when the time is right and the need is great. They may stay for a long while or a short while but their influence, love and Grace can't be taken from us. They remind us of the unconditional acceptance and love that God has given all of us. They walk among us, bathed in peace and joy, aware of the delight in living every minute, no matter what that minute carries with it. Yet, they are able to help us remove the mistaken importance of those mundane tasks that threaten to overwhelm us and our survival. They remind us of what we have available to us when we understand how Grace truly works. We in turn, can provide Grace for others who walk in fear and loneliness and without hope when the time comes.

I bid you peace as you celebrate the Grace that is an every day aspect of living. We are blessed with Grace from birth, not just our physical birth but from the beginning in the mind of God. Blessings.

CRYSTALS

Heliotrope / Bloodstone

Helioptrope/Bloodstone is a stone surrounded in mysticism and legend. Heliotrope/Bloodstone is a green quartz like crystal with flecks of red that resemble blood across the surface. It can be found in many countries including Australia, Brazil, Russia, India, China and the USA. Ancient Greek lore states that Heliotrope/Bloodstone is the connecting stone between the gods, men and the earth. Ancient Egyptian culture believed the stone to be a protective amulet and further mystery was added when it was said that the spots of red were droplets of blood from Christ. This last legend made Heliotrope a favourite stone of the Crusaders and gave it the secondary, common name of "Bloodstone."

As a tool for physical healing, Heliotrope / Bloodstone is a powerful healing stone and an excellent blood purifier that is often used to support the functions of the major organs of the body that move and clean the blood; such as the liver, kidneys, lungs and spleen. It is also very beneficial to the circulatory system and can help the heart to maintain a regular, strong heartbeat while improving the integrity of all coronary systems. Heliotrope / Bloodstone is also used in relieving bladder infections as it helps to remove toxins. Blood born dis-eases, such as leukemia can also be healed and their effects diminished in the body.

Spiritually, Heliotrope / Bloodstone is said to banish evil and negativity. It is said to increase intuition and intuitive creativity. Due to it's connection to the Crusaders, Heliotrope / Bloodstone is often used as an amulet for protection as it can aid in diffusing negative thought and patterns. It also helps the wearer to sympathize with those it meets and allows creative flexibility when dealing with difficult situations and individuals. Heliotrope / Bloodstone helps maintain emotional balance when encountering new and unusual circumstances and it can help the wearer make clear, concise decisions by removing confusion. Heliotrope / Bloodstone is a key component if you are having difficulty combining a spiritual life with the everyday process of living.

Heliotrope / Bloodstone should be cleaned in warm running water and left to recharge among quartz crystals.

Heliotrope / Bloodstone

Blessing for Christmas and the New Year

The Winter Solstice and the Christmas time lights celebrate the healing we have done since Halloween. We come forth into a burgeoning time when the light, almost imperceptibly starts to take back the day. The New Year brings revelry and joy as it heralds a promise of new opportunities, new adventures and most of all, new hope. A season of change, a season of hope, a season of joy, a season of renewed light and foremost a season of celebration with family and friends.

"Universal Light, Christ Consciousness, be with us now,

we have sought succor in your loving, healing embrace.

Now we wait for the returning light to show us that indeed a new day has come.

In the returning light let us see the promise of not only a new day but of a new year also.

A year with endless possibilities and opportunities, a year with filled with love, hope and joy.

A year that will bring us ever closer to our greatest adventure; Life.

A year that will bring us ever closer to our greatest discovery; our connection to the Divine.

Blessed be."

MONTHLY MEDITATION

"Winter's Chill"

"The cold wind rattles the windows and a chill settles over the land.

The dark time of the year has come and it heralds winter's cold embrace.

The body shivers in remembrance of past winters that froze the body and spirit.

This year will be different, this year the chill will not persuade the body to hide from the joy of living.

The winter chill will not find a home in this heart. Warmed by fire of divine eternal love

and the slowly returning light, hope is reborn and the chill is banished,

just as the light and warm embraces banish all childhood night time fears.

The winter's chill this year will instead spur me to action and to living my own loving life."

December 2010