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Ron’s “Cast of Characters” Review

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Ron’s “Cast of Characters” Review

Max Lucado’s book Cast of Character is an interesting take on many of the most talked about people in the Bible.  He puts into his own words the personas of each individual as well as their unique struggles and conquests over life diversities.  Through it all God comes through for them and provides in ways that were not always considered.  In short, in Faith they were willing to walk through fear and into Promise.

I liked the premise of this book and found it to be somewhat entertaining.  As always, Lucado’s unique voice is apparent from chapter to chapter.  He enlightens us about the lives and personalities of the disciple’s and apostles as well as a multitude of other players throughout scripture.  Max does well to paint the reader a picture of the human side of each and every one of them by portraying them as closely as he could to those of this age.

As far as great reads I would have to say he misses the mark.  I found it very difficult to get through the book and found it very easy to put down.  There was nothing that grabbed me and caused me to yearn to read more.  It was a book that I chose to read between books.

Cast of Characters may be a better book for a biblical novice who is just opening their eyes and hearts.  It would be a great tool to help a new reader grasp the implications of modern struggle by exhibiting the similarities and exhibit the realism of them in a light of modern days.  Readers will find themselves and those they know in the characters discussed in this book making the biblical stories easier to relate to.

Again, it is not that this is not a good book.  It just was not the right book for me.

Christianity, faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Religion, Roman Catholic, Self Help, Spitituality

Filthy Rags

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Filthy Rags

There once was a boy who cast out his line. On the end of that line was a shiny lure. He caught one fish after another. Some fish were returned to the water hungry. Others were brought to the table and filleted. The only fish that flourished were those who chose to ignore the illusion. They knew Truth. They enjoyed Freedom. They experienced Paradise.

What if our religion is our ‘shiny lure’ – creating illusionist expectations about our church, our world or even our God?

This could be devastating!

It could be and is in more cases than I would like to see. Religion can very well be the shiny lure-creating illusionist expectations about everything and everyone. Our mind is very good at creating what we expect and formulating our realities based on that. Unknown to ourselves we could in fact be totally convinced that we are 100% right when in Truth we are 50% wrong.

Half truths will never lead to full Promise.

When we become so consumed by Ego and bring forth our credentials onto ourselves and others, we may feel that we have won. This is a hollow victory. Well, this is the case for those who have perceived themselves as godly and in their egocentric perception have given themselves freely to ungodly actions.

It is very easy to formulate a strong perception on a single event from a single time with a single person. Recently I had a visit from a friend who is adamant about pursuing her perceived doctrines about being a good Christian. It all began with her statement “We are all filthy rags. Only God is good.” I inquired about where she came to that conclusion and let her know that this is not true. In fact another friend of mine made that very same statement to me recently. “Show me where in the Bible it says that. Aren’t we created in the image of God? Isn’t he our Father? Would we look at All our children as filthy rags?” She then referenced Isaiah 64:6 where Isaiah is speaking to God about the current situation plaguing the majority of his people at that time. Isaiah was asking for an answer. In typical fashion, my friend and fellow Christian failed to see the context of the chapter and verses which led to Isaiah’s statement. She learned her interpretation from who I would assume was an untrained, uneducated or straight out manipulative pastor who may have just as well received his ordination papers in a cereal box. This being the case the statements were retained in her mind as fact and never challenged until this day. Her misconception and unwillingness to explore the Truth led me to make a statement meant to provoke further debate.

The Roman Catholic Church is the only real church all the others from Martin Luther on are all fake. They are all the false prophets spoken about in the Bible. Rest assured that Roman Catholic Priests are the best educated teachers of Biblical literature. A major contributor to their level of awareness is the fact that they do not marry. A married man could never devote all of self to the church. Family would always take president if he expects that relationship to be fruitful.

This proved to be a highly effective tool in opening some doors that have not been open in a while. Even for myself. As I had done the same thing she had. We both walked away from the Roman Catholic Church because we needed more, as thousands of others had over the past several decades. I acknowledge this fact and understand that everything happens for a reason. However, we must be honest with ourselves and others about what those reasons were. Keep in mind the Church and the church are two different things. The main purpose of us coming together to worship is never diminished by where we meet. These are just buildings and are nothing more than meeting places for those who wish to share the Word and experience Spirit together as One.

The first door that opened was that of a church in Brooklyn New York that she had entered over twenty years ago. She had reached the stage in her life where a thirst for the things of God needed to be quenched. Typically, as it is with many Catholics today, the church was used to lay a foundation for the more advanced Christianity that would follow. However, where congregants tend to get lost in this system is usually right after they receive the sacrament of confirmation. This has become a graduation day for many Catholics and a right to wander away from the church in most cases never to be seen in mass again. This was exactly the case with my friend. For over ten years she had ceased to meet together with fellow Christians. During this time she had moved in with her boyfriend and adopted the American religion of Capitalism and moved far away from the moral teachings of her upbringing.

As she began to feel more lost and yearned for solace, she thought to return to where all things once made sense to her. She arrived at a local Roman Catholic Church one Sunday morning, attended the service and afterward went over to speak with the priest. He did not give her the answer she was looking for. Perhaps she asked the wrong question, but whatever transpired in that conversation caused her to never return.

This brings us back to our initial debate. We stood in the kitchen of my home discussing the context of Isaiah 64:6 and were led into a heated debate about the Roman Catholic Church. My wife, a devote Catholic was present too. My friend began to make several statements about the Pope and the Catholic Church that I was obligated to dispel. Lots of plural statements were made in places that should have been singular. “They don’t want us to read the Bible! This is why there are no Bibles in the pews of the Catholic Church.” My wife answered, “Don’t most people bring their own Bibles to church?” My friend countered, “We are supposed be able to turn to the Bible to make sure that what the pastor or priest says is really in there.” My wife began to laugh and said, “So you listen to a man who you do not trust is giving you the Word?” This went on for a while.

We began to speak about our past experiences with the Roman Catholic Church and what caused us to walk away from it. For her it was the typical, “I needed more. There was nothing there for me.” I’m sure this was akin to me searching the kitchen pantry for something that only my wife can find. As she often says, “You just don’t know how to look.” Eventually this turned to the sexual abuse scandal which plagued the Catholic Church for several decades. A scandal which I believe for the most part was directly or indirectly linked to the mass exodus of good Catholic Christians from the church that was in fact their own. They left their churches untended. Therefore, the once bountiful garden became engulfed by weeds.

I paid close attention to all the words being used and came to a clear understanding or revelation of what had taken place so many years ago in that Brooklyn church. She had formulated a reality in her own mind of what the Roman Catholic Church is, what it stands for, who the members (1.1 billion worldwide) are and what those arrogant priests (41,400 in the United States alone) are all about. It was all the plurals in the conversation that bothered me most so I began to inquire. “What priest are you referring too? Which Roman Catholic churches did you attend? How many protestant churches did you find with Bibles in the pews?” The answers ranged from one to a handful and proved my point. This was a ridiculous statement that a first grader could understand especially when we consider the 1.1 million Catholics in existence today. She had no solid proof that any of her statements were true and had no right to accuse every single priest in the Roman Catholic Church of doing any less than educating and leading people to a godly lifestyle.

You see, my wife and I both had excellent priests in our parishes growing up. They encouraged us to read Scripture and offered many additional services and education groups to add value to our walk. The thing is that many fail to look any further than the fast food window which has come to be their weekly mass. They believe they need look no further to satisfy their thirst for Truth. So, many leave to seek nourishment elsewhere failing to realize that we are the Church.

This has been the downfall of parish communities all over the United States of America. Many good Christians have left the Catholic Church. They had abandoned the house and allowed the evil ones to walk right in. It is exactly like abandoning a home in the inner city and never looking back. The worst of the worst will find their way in and ruin a house that was once whole. It makes me wonder if things would have been different in regards to the sex scandals of the church if more intuitive Spirit seeking Christians remained. We may have been able to pull up the weeds by the roots before evil reared its ugly head. I’m sure we would have recognized the wolves in sheep’s clothing

I reiterated several times that what she was doing was wrong. Her experience with one priest, in one church, on one particular day is not grounds for her assumptions about all priests, all congregants (68 million in the United States) and all churches. “You must stop using plurals where you mean to use singulars.” It was then that she felt discomfort as her perceived truths began to evaporate. I found it difficult to speak as she continued to talk over me while reverting to unrelated topics and inserting “Aha” moments which failed to enlighten my wife or me and seemed to materialize absent of context. Struggling to maintain her beliefs she eventually and typically referenced the scandal. She proclaimed in an unforgiving and hateful tone, “They knew about the molestations! The Pope knew exactly what was going on!”

Again she used many plurals where there should have been singulars. I had to ask, “Who is they? Are all priests bad? How do you know the Pope knew?” She replied, “I just know. He said so. He apologized to everyone.” She took what she wanted from the apology. In her mind he was confessing his wrong doing and not voicing his regret for the actions of some.

Every time she proclaims these falsities and passes them on she is bearing false witness. In her mind she stands strong in the Word while in All she defiles Spirit with her actions. The Ego built from her religion is her shiny lure. Partial Truths will never satisfy what she had hungered for on that one day in that Brooklyn church over twenty years ago.

Luke 6:41 (Amplified Bible) Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice or consider the beam [of timber] that is in your own eye?

Another friend is a Jehovah Witness and adamantly proclaims the doctrine of that church. He recently brought me a book to read that exhibited how the Roman Catholic Church has its roots in Paganism. Everything from symbols of the crucifixion of Jesus to the fish shaped hat at the top of the Popes head was mentioned in the book “Babylon the Mystery Religion” by Ralph Woodrow. Although the book was out of print I found a copy on Amazon and ordered right away. I also ordered “The Babylon Connection” which turned out to be the corrected copy of the first book. It would seem that the author found that one of him principle sources was not as reliable as initially perceived. Although the first book was selling in great numbers and removing it from the market would cost the author a great deal of money; the most important thing was to right the wrong and correct the misinformation which was previously printed.

Well, I took the liberty of ordering “The Babylon Connection” for my friend when I ordered my copy. He read the book and was unimpressed and remained unwavering in his beliefs. In fact he came to the conclusion that the Roman Catholic Church had strong armed Woodrow into writing the second book. “They got to him!” he proclaimed. His mind was closed and he refused to let any information in that conflicted with his previous beliefs. He preferred to remain in the lie rather than even considering the truth and became a prisoner of that propaganda.

Yes, religion can be our shiny lure. It could be everything we expect it should be. However, what we expect it should be is not always what it should be. The things we think may satisfy us just may leave us hungry or even worse; dead in the water.

There is always more to learn. As we experience our physical lives we grow spiritual. Only an open mind will nourish the soul. In this we will find the Truth revealed and the freedom that goes along with it. How do we clean filthy rags? We put them through the wash to remove the stains of the past. Truth is the most powerful detergent.

2012, Christianity, faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Self Help, Spitituality

Jehovahjireh

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“And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, in the mount of the LORD it shall be seen”; referring to a place of testing where faith multiplies blessings. When we find this place we receive our reward. We must be willing to walk through the fear to realize the Promise. As we travel up the mountain of fear God will be with us. In this Truth we shall realize the power of Faith through trust. In fact the fear of God ironically is the trusting of His plan for us.
“That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” The seed is actually not of the body. It is of the spirit of Faith. This is what will bless All. Spirit is telling Abraham that this Word and the Truth being spread to all mankind will bless all the inhabitants of this world.
All those who carry out this mission are in fact spreading out the seed of Abraham and bearing much fruit throughout this earthly realm. This goes on today. As we continue to educate out brothers and sisters about the power of Faith we are in fact removing the barriers or the walls between the spiritual realm of consciousness and the physical realm of consciousness; what we refer to as reality. Actually, our interpretation is highly imaginary and absolutely subjective. One person’s physical truth is another’s lie. Yet, in the Spiritual there exists only one ever expanding Truth. The subjectivity of Truth is the initiate of peril. Thus, we have begun the destruction of the physical realm via our ignoring the Truth which resides within and without Spirit. “And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters…” God is Spirit. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In the image of the Spirit we must continue to plant the seeds of faith in the hearts and souls of all mankind.
In this we have the power to create that which is good. “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion… So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” We were created in the Spirit of love to be fruitful and cover the earth, both planes of consciousness with Truth. It was the original intention for mankind to trust and have faith in All that there Is, but Ego came into the garden and corrupted it. It was from the pure seed of Faith that all would be provided. And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good”
Man and Woman already existed at this point in spirit. Now the physical bodies would come into existence. However these bodies were still connected to Spirit and enjoyed the benefit of immediate manifestation. “And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.” All was provided up until the time when sin or fear was released and the wall came up between the heavens and the earth. This created doubt in the spirit of man and when man doubts his spirit is bound by the illusion of what may be. The reality of Now is overshadowed by fear. This caused the creative energies to dissipate while a split of energies ensued. In division came the fall of man. Fear would overtake Faith.
“Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.” In this new earth man is blinded from Spirit and instead has been cursed to bring sustenance by physical means rather that by the power of manifestation. Not trusting in Spirit and wanting to be God has taken man from Eden. The separation of the two realms of consciousness begins. Their shame has moved them further away from Spirit.
Today mankind is at the threshold of this separation. We have run from Spirit and made the Truth the lie. Following the direction (the Word) is the key ingredient which will free us from the bounds of this physical oppressive state. The realms will mesh for those who believe and adhere to the Word. The message is clear. To God’s chosen people who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus was sharing what Spirit had taught him. The disciples are those who continue to plant the seeds of faith in the hearts of mankind. Those who are disciples are the chosen people. They will reach the point of immediate manifestation. By keeping the mind focused on our desires and by giving away our thoughts of fear we will experience Peace. Faith begets peace and peace paves the way to Promise.
“I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Faith is unadulterated trust in the Word. In believing without a doubt we are protected and provided for in all ways. In Truth is our freedom. Now is the time, the place and the Promise.

Book Reviews, business, faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Psychology, Publishing, Self Help, Spitituality, Uncategorized

Loading Dock

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I noticed that people tend to define themselves by the material things they hold and only assume that others do the same. These things are all temporary; all will lose worth and fade away, but our connection to God is eternal and His economy will never fail. So many times; when I am so filled and excited about God working in my life people ask, “How much did you get paid?” They don’t comprehend the value of the joy I receive from the opportunities God has given me to spread the Word He has sown in my heart. They think in a little box, abundance of all kinds could only come hand to hand, deed for deed and quid pro quo, but I must always explain that God is my accountant, business manager and financial adviser. Often the things I do for the Kingdom have very little to do with the way I get paid. It usually comes through the back door and my back door needs to be a loading dock because the Gifts are tremendous!

The other day I was involved in a conversation that started with me explaining that all things get taken care of in my life. God always provides for me and my family in one way or another. I decided to leave a job that was not a good fit for me. He asked what I was going to do to make a living and I answered, “Whatever God leads me to do.” He laughed and thought I was crazy. In his mind there is no God and only one way to be fruitful. Giving freely from your heart and using the Gift within to prosper was not included in his tiny package. I knew that my present position was no longer a good fit for me. The mission I had there was already finished. God was now answering my prayers and bringing me to my next opportunity to serve.

What ever I told him in regards to this seemed to fall on deaf ears. It was not getting through the thick liner of his tiny box. His God was money and he had a firm belief that the only way to experience steady abundance was to work harder for it. My saying, “It is better to work smarter than harder” had a negative effect on the situation. Even my visual analogy of picking up a book with two hands verse trying to do the same by balancing it on a pen failed to convince him. Working with God is working smarter! When we tap into His energy abundance comes to us quickly and easily.

He then pulled out a $100 bill and said, “This is what I believe in!” I responded, “Let me see that. What does this say?” It read “In God We Trust.” Most likely, the founding fathers never wanted us to forget that money should never be worshiped it must never be looked at as our god.

Several days prior, after taking a week to reflect on where I was and where I wanted to be; I began to contemplate giving my notice. I would come to say this simple prayer. “Father, I thank you that you’re causing me to be in the right place at the right time. You are bringing wonderful financial opportunities my way. I know there are no limits to what you can do in our lives. I ask you today to find me a career that is a better fit for me and that will allow me to use my creative talents and abilities to prosper in all ways. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.” Within a few days I was inspired to text a well know literary agent friend of mine about doing some contact work. He referred me to a publishing service company who in turn offered to contract my editing and proofing services. Next, the morning of which I intended to tell my general manager I would be leaving, keep in mind at this point I was leaving without knowing if another position would arise; I was going over a few points with the owner of a radio network in regards to my new monthly radio show “Being” when I was inspired to ask if there were any openings in their sales department. She responded, “As a matter of fact we have a sales manager position open.” I had not even left my job yet and was blessed with two opportunities which both lined up perfectly with what I had prayed for. That is working smarter!

I found out latter that the gentlemen who I was engaged with so deeply on the topic of God had submitted to another religion. Money was his God, doctors were his Pastors and prescription drugs would be his spirit within. He adamantly believed that the only way for him to be happy, stable and at ease in this world was through medication. Although he did make several good points about how many need to use medications to insure a balance of their body chemistry; he failed to examine the potential for diet, exercise and spiritual development to do the same. My mind is open on this subject and I am sure that medication has its place in the grand scheme of things. However, long term use always seems to create more long term problems and in most cases just covers up the root of the issue. If we fail to remove the root the weed will continue to grow, spread out over the field that is our lives and suffocate our Gifts within.

Christianity, faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Self Help, Spitituality, Uncategorized

Never Stop Believing

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Never stop believing. Stay strong. Maintain expectations of blessings grounded in grace. It is by faith in believing what is unseen that the answers to our prayers are constantly and continuously being facilitated. Our daily lives are full of the ingredients which will lend Promise.

On one particular day not so long ago I experienced a miracle which was dependent upon my perception of an unfavorable event. Initially a good deed done for a friend caused me to second guess my act of kindness. My thought was that maybe I shouldn’t have ever offered to help.

It was late in the evening when I received a call from my long time friend. He needed to move some appliances the following day and wished to borrow my appliance truck. The large hand truck with the strap attached was purchased in the late forties by my grandfather. I seldom lend it out. It has traditionally been an in expendable tool of mine. In fact, being that I had only been blessed with several sisters, I affectionately referred to it as my brother.

Al and I had been friends since childhood. Although he, Rodney and I had gone to different high schools we pretty much spent the majority of our teenage years with one another. I so valued our friendship that I asked him to be the best man at my wedding. We have always been there for each other in a vast variety of ways through the years. Both are the closest thing I have ever had to true brothers.

This being the case I acted without thought in assisting him with whatever he would need. This particular time I would supply him with my two wheel appliance truck. My brother was in need of my brother.

I agreed to meet him at my building the following morning. My plan was to make the most out of the mission by arriving early and doing a little cleaning while I waited for Al to arrive. Progress was well beyond expectations as the property was looking incredibly well. Several hours had passed before he arrived.

The first thing he enquired about was the large puddle that had formed along the street. “What’s up with the big puddle outside?” he asked. “Well, since we had had all that rain in the forecast over the last few weeks I decided to set the sump pump lower in the hole. I usually rest it on a large cinderblock so it does not run any longer than it has too.” Amazingly, during the “Historic Floods” my building stayed remarkably dry. Not a drop of water had entered the building. It would seem that this would be short lived because somehow after moving the pump to its original position the equipment had failed.

Two days later I returned to the store and surprisingly discovered that the parking lot was completely awash and water was exiting through the bottom of the showroom doors. Slowly I pressed my face up close and peered through the glass. I could barely believe my eyes. The first floor of the building was covered with two inches of water.

I began to think to myself, “I should have never offered to let Al borrow that appliance truck. If I just stayed home none of this would have ever happened. Why did I ever agree to help my friend?” It was in that instant that it hit me. My thinking was off. I needed to correct my wrong thinking. I needed to remain strong in my faith and confirm that God had a plan; knowing without a doubt that He would take the bad and use it for good.

I did my best to extract as much of the water as I could in order to minimize the damages. Besides, my realtor had scheduled a showing for the following day. Since I had no money to pay for the necessary services I decided that it would be best to call into work and explain to my general manager what had happened. I worked for two day extracting the water and drying the place out to the best of my abilities. It was as dry as it was going to get.

I pleaded with my realtor to reschedule, but she felt it would be best not to cancel. The showing went well with the exception of a damp box that I left in the back office which caused the buyer to feel the damp rug. She began to question if the building had water issues. I guess it was just not meant to be.

Afterwards, I decide to contact my insurance agent to let him know what had happened. I said, “Dennis, I know I am probably not covered. I have no flood insurance, but I figured it would be best to check with you regardless.” I was shocked by his answer. There was a possibility that I was covered. The ministry’s insurance policy did not cover flooding from seepage, but it did cover equipment failure and that indeed was the culprit of this unfortunate event.

Dennis told me to call my insurance company directly and tell them what had happened. A very kind man named Charlie asked me several questions about the incident. I answered candidly and was pleasantly surprised by his conclusions. We were indeed covered up to $25,000 for all damages due to the failed pump. He simply asked me to take a series of photos with my cellular phone and send them over to him. We then set up an appointment to discuss the photos in order to review the damages. Within a matter of days Disciples of Love Ministries had a check for $20,030.70.

The check came in the name of the ministry and the bank. Being that we were several months behind on our mortgage the bank agreed to endorse the check and deposit the remaining balance, after bringing us current, into our account. That was fine with us. As a matter of fact we are now one month ahead on our mortgage and slowly making the necessary improvements to our headquarters. With faith all things are possible.

The following Sunday I sat in the early morning service and heard a not so coincidental sermon that captured the essence of this experience. I contemplated God’s far reaching plan for us. I remembered my grandfather’s appliance truck and how he purchasing that one item over seventy years ago had such a crucial role in allowing our ministry to move forward today. This realization caused my heart to fill with incredible warmth and my eyes to tear. It was God’s plan.

Christianity, faith, God, Inspiration, Jesus, Religion, Self Help, Spitituality, Uncategorized

Building Bridges

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Building Bridges

We can’t ignite our advancement while contemplating another’s demise.

It really makes no sense to put all our energy into knocking others down.  As we direct our thoughts and emotions towards hurting another person in some way we are only hurting ourselves in all ways.  You see, we are splitting the power which is within us.

If we push against each other we go nowhere.  The harder we push the harder we are pushed against.  In this we exert excessive amounts of energy and go nowhere.  It is the same when we attempt to assassinate the character and abilities of someone else.  We are not only showing our weakness and fears to those around us, but we are seriously hindering our own ability to advance and move forward.

Again, it all comes down to our thoughts and the energy and vibration they create.  While exerting the majority of our energies on bringing down our neighbor’s world we are in fact bringing down the world around us.  Let us say that two people are building a similar structure with brick and mortar only a few yards away from each other.  One just concentrates on building their structure while the other occasionally walks over to slow the progress of the other’s project.  While one continually concentrates on construction the other’s mind and energies are split.  Part of the time they are thinking of finishing their project and the rest of the time they are exerting mental and physical energy to inhibit their neighbor’s structure.  Meanwhile, their mortar is drying up; they misplace their tools and soon find that they have built an incredibly weak structure that took and excessive amount of time to complete.

Let’s try this experiment.  Write down a process that will lend a favorable result while speaking what we are writing out loud.  It is simple right?  I’m sure none of us had a problem with that little exercise.  Now, let’s write down the same process while speaking of a process which will create an unfavorable outcome for someone else.  Not as easy is it?  Most likely all we have written down is an ineffective process that fails to incorporate many elements of success yet is laden with the essentials of failure.

By working together to build each other up we increase our energies and extrapolate our incisions.

 What we need to do is bring others up whenever we can.  In the process we gain unexpected quick and clear understanding of the unknown and increased clarity in expression in all that pertain to the implicit.  Helping others to succeed will contribute greatly to our own success.  It’s all about energy!  As we build others up our own vibration increases and our energies work together to bring greater things into our lives.

In certainty,

Ron Ash

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Encouragement and Enrichment

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Encouragement is the source of enrichment.

We can’t bring ourselves up by tearing others down.  The fact is that we need each other to succeed in life.  As we are all interconnected what happens to one affects us all.  Everyone counts and everybody matters; we all have something to contribute in some way.

The bricks at the top of the monument are no more important than those at the base.  If we smash out those bellow than those above will come crumbling down.  In realizing the strength and purpose of every piece of the entire structure we ensure the steady and sturdy rise of the monument which is our life.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (New International Version) Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Encouragement is the strongest element of enrichment.  As we encourage one another so too do we grow.  In fact we will grow exponentially.  It is here that our energies combine and catapult us into unimaginable success.  It is really a matter of compound energy.  Through the seeds of encouragement we experience tremendous accelerated growth and bring forth the most fruitful harvest.  As we boost up the energy fields of those around us our own field receives a power boost.  This is what propels us to higher levels in our infinite ascension.

As we witness those who feel that by bringing others down they rise up one thing becomes painfully obvious.  It does not work!  In this scenario one of two things will happen.  Either they will remain in the same position or they will be demoted to a lower one.  You see, they are actually creating negative energy and like attracts like.  This is why those who choose this path will constantly experience negative emotions and attract negative experiences into their lives.  They are charging off energy and losing momentum.

It is very similar to the way electricity works.  A new friend of mine was talking about this recently.  We were discussing the phenomena revolving around the uncertain fait of electric cars over the last few decades.  I posed the question, “Why can’t a car that is in motion charge from its own momentum?”  Sam replied, “A battery cannot charge and discharge at the same time.”  The only way this could work is by cycling several batteries.  It is not possible by using only one.

This conversation applied directly to how we function as smaller fields of energy which exist in a larger field of energy.  We cycle off the energy of others.  As we encourage one another we boost each others energy and charge our batteries.  There is only one awesome difference.  We can never be over charged because we are never enclosed as a battery is.  Our individual fields of energy continuously grow and become stronger.  Guess what?  When we tap into this amazing field of energy aka God’s energy we attract bigger and better blessings into our lives.

Opportunity will knock daily.  Signs will become increasingly abundant and we will find ourselves in the best places and meeting the right people always.  Like energy has no choice; it will always respond to energy that is of equal strength and vibration.

It all comes down to choice.  The most helpful thing for us to do is to strive to bring others up and to do more that our share.  The feeling that we are getting the short end of the stick or that we are being taken advantage of should be a red flag.  It is our emotions telling us too evaluate our thoughts, examine the bigger picture and change our thinking.  There is an economics to our actions that will increasingly become more prevalent over the next several years.  Hand to hand rewards will become few and far between.  Our gains in all ways will come to us unexpectedly and in ways we may have never considered.  As I usually say, “It will come in through the back door.”  The secret is to sustain a positive vibration and to maintain an uncompromised standard of Being.  We must do the right thing at all cost and move forward confidently knowing that God will take the bad and use it to build on our successes.

Remember, success is an accomplishment that yields an intended or unintended positive outcome. It is a feeling gained from impacting another in a positive way.  We must strive to express, enlighten, engage and empower those around us. Rewards may vary, but the end result is always the same.

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God’s First Gift

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There are many things in life that contribute to our Being. Many of life’s experiences culminate in our hearts, souls and minds to give us our sense of self. The lessons we learn from situations and circumstance all have much to with who we are internally and externally.

Nothing in all our lives will have the profound effect on the creation that is us as the one found in God’s very first gift to us. What is this gift? Well, as we look back to the beginning of our time here in this physical realm it becomes plain to see where the majority of ourselves has developed from.

As we look back to the very instance of our physical conception it becomes ever more obvious. The range of influence is insurmountable. Emotional, physical and spiritual input is unleashed upon us from an unrivaled physical source that gives freely and unconditionally for a single purpose. The primary functions of nurturing, protecting and ensuring the growth of our physical bodies and spiritual souls.

Our first gift from God in this physical realm of our existence is our mother. She is the one who sustains us while we begin a physical life in the womb. All God’s blueprints come to life in the body of our mother. The set of plans which contain the potential for our Being are set in motion and the creation takes its first step in the realization of what will be Spirit with body and the essence of our Being.

What our mothers feel we feel even before our birth. Emotional experiences are passed on to us even in our fetal state. We can be calmed by music and excited by chaos. It is possible for us to react to stress and fear as well as peace and love. In her Being comes our Being.

It is what our mother drinks that we drink. What she eats we eat. So it is as she breathes we do to. Our hearts although separate are dependent on each other for so many things. For all intensive purposes we are One existing as two for about a nine month duration of which her primary objective is to bring us through the process unscathed.

After the birth her job continues. It is an endless sacrifice of self for her child. Her entire life begins to revolve around assuring that the child’s needs are met in all ways. The baby must be fed, clothed and cleaned continually. Its safety and health must be carefully monitored throughout the day. It must experience love and comfort physically and mentally in order to grow to its greatest potential for Being.

Our mother becomes our first teacher. She helps us to walk and to talk, read and write and introduces us to all things of Spirit. If she maintains a strong connection with us all these things become the seeds of hope, faith and love sowed in our hearts.

Moms teach us all the time whether intentionally or unintentionally. We learn from them even when we don’t know we are learning. Much of the things I cherish about myself today all came from my mother’s ways. She taught me to treat others as I would like to be treated in a simple statement, “Ronnie, you wouldn’t want someone to do that to you.” She set the stage for my spiritual foundation by setting me inside a church and keeping the Bible in a prominent place in our home. She gave me the things from within it daily as circumstances arose. Funny, she rarely told me the Bible says, but always showed me in her own unique way exactly what It said. It was her who taught me to appreciate all of God’s creations without telling me to appreciate all of God’s creations. Her sacrifices’ exhibited to me the necessity to sacrifice as her giving taught me to give unconditionally.

Always safe and always secure; never knowing our poverty in poverty or our abundance in abundance. Never questioning from where our needs would be fulfilled, seldom without hope and rarely wanting more than all that we had. As a child we trust that all is well, in calm and in chaos we find peace and joy because of our Mothers.

My mother ascended several years ago, yet she is here with me today and every day. Even prior to her ascension she granted my final request. I told her to go in peace to the Father and that her children will be ok. The only stipulation I communicated to her on that Christmas Eve was for her to not go until after Christmas. I did not want my children to associate the loss of their nanny with this joyful day. It was the morning of January first that my mother entered the next level of her existence.

She let me know that she was Ok and watching over us continually. Incredible signs were given to me the day before and the day after her funeral. Her name is very rare and the fact that during the first forty years of my life I had only met one other who shared her name added greatly to the significance of the events which followed her ascension.

I found myself in a department store the day before her funeral looking for a new suit. Desperately needing assistance I requested a sales associate to help me. The person I spoke too paged the department sales associate over the intercom. “Anita please report to formalwear for customer assistance.” I turned to my sister in amazement and we both smiled from ear to ear. There was no doubt in our minds that this was much more than chance. Neither of us believed in coincidences. Several days after this experience I found myself sitting in the waiting room of a commercial building I own. I felt I had to get away from my home for a bit in order to get away from the constant flow of visitors who all offered their heartfelt condolences. Maybe I just needed time away from the reality of my loss. In any event it must have been a perfect time for my mother to remind me that she was still there with me. A woman walked into the building and one of my tenants immediately introduced himself. “My name is Paul. Nice to meet you Paul, I am Anita.” I froze in the power of presence as my eyes slowly began to tear from the joy of knowing.

There is an intimate connection between a mother and child that transcends space and time. When we think of our mothers they are here with us. A part of them will eternally reside in us. As we think of them, need them or feel them in our hearts they come to us in some way and some form. There are no limits to this wireless network. Signal strength excellent! It was Jesus that said, (John 14:12 Amplified Bible) “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father.”

In faith always,

Ron Ash

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Stop for Directions

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Stop for Directions

Humanity has taken a wrong turn and has arrogantly refused to stop for directions.

How can we expect to get to our Divine destination on an empty tank of gas? That’s exactly what will happen if we continue to stay the wrong course. All we will do is waste our time and money while polluting our world. Moving is not a sign of moving forward. We must set our course and move forward confidently on the proper path. It’s never too late to look up and ask for directions.

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Making Choices

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Sometimes we can make the simplest things the most complex. We love to over think things. Instead of just taking things as they are and appreciating them as such we attempt to make more of them and in doing so make them so much less significant.

There are a wide range of scenarios that fit this common process of deduction. Everything from the evaluation of friendships, relationships and partnerships all the way to making the basic everyday choices in our live are often subject to the scrutiny of our over active minds. We seem to have an unquenchable thirst for breaking down every conversation, gesture and action involving all others in our lives. So too do we continually take the simplest decisions and make the making of them complex.

In all areas and in all choices there exists a constant. We are able to deduce the possible outcomes of any and all decisions prior to making them. There are a few very basic questions that we must ask ourselves as to what the possible outcomes of our choices could be.

Most recently I was in counsel with a resident in a recovery program. He was doing very well in house and on pass, but was very concerned with staying on his path of recovery. The program had enabled him to recognize the vast opportunities which are afforded to him via a life of sobriety.

I simply put it to him this way, “In every decision there exists a few possible outcomes; if you don’t like one of them than don’t make that decision.” In other words, suppose he decided to go to a party with friends knowing that there would be an abundance of drugs and alcohol there. What are the possible consequences of going there? Well, one may be a violation of his probation if the party was busted and he was found there. If that happened he would find himself back in court and most likely at the training school. If he used drugs while with his friends, he would fail his next drug test and be sent back into a mandatory recovery program. He could even get away with it all together and maybe never get caught. Yet, if there was only one negative scenario wouldn’t it be best not to participate at all?

In every decision we consider making there are always less than a handful of potential consequences related to that choice. We must get in the habit of asking ourselves;“If I do this than what could happen?’ If any of those results are something that we would not want to live with than we should not make that choice.

Court ordered into a recovery program will require another six months of residential treatment if a drug test comes back positive. Staying clean and doing the right thing will open many doors. Which choice sounds best?

Times have really changed over the years. Just about every job requires and initial drug test and many require periodic testing once hired. The days of partying over the weekend and starting fresh on Monday are quickly becoming times past. The high cost of insurances has forced employers to comply or pay huge premiums. Most have chosen to do what they need to do in order to lower overhead and secure a prosperous future.

There are also many choices that we face in relationships that can really determine the tone of our destiny and the direction of our journey. Fidelity is often a simple choice if we prove to carefully evaluate the potential outcomes associated with our actions. To cheat or not to cheat is often the question.

Let’s look at a common struggle in many marriages. Temptation comes knocking. Should we let it in? Again, we must carefully consider the possible outcomes of the path we choose. The best choice is often to leave the door closed, but let’s examine this scenario for its learning potential. What could be the initial consequences of opening that door? One could be that we begin to feel drawn to the temptation. We may begin to imagine the adultery and start to crave physical contact. Suppose we follow through and never get caught. How would that feel? If we would suffer under the guilt of our actions why would we put ourselves into that situation in the first place? It would probably be best just to walk away. What if we did follow through and got caught in an adulterous affair? Now what consequences would we face? If there are children involved we could quickly find ourselves with limited visitations and the cause of much anguish in their lives. The trust of our spouse would be destroyed and even if given another chance the freedoms we once enjoyed would only be a distant memory. Divorce causes so much negativity. Is this a scenario worth partaking? When there are more things that can go wrong than can go right the decision becomes easy. It’s best to abstain from that choice.

Even when it comes to friendships we must make it a point to choose those who we associate with very carefully. We must matriculate towards those who echo our beliefs. If they are doing things that we don’t want to do than we must consciously choose not to be with them. When we put ourselves in situations where certain people are in contrast with our moral and ethical beliefs we must remove ourselves from the equation. It all goes back to being equally yoked. Certain people will always find themselves with certain problems and if we are with them those problems will become ours very quickly. If we are to maintain our sobriety, our morality or our self respect we must evaluate all possibilities in every decision we make.