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A Grand Rising

Available now: January 2024  |  I’m Available: David Ault Answers His Sacred Calling  |  There Is Work To Be Done  |  Spiritual Living Circles: A Grand Rising of Connection  |  Your Mind: Questions That Limit or Expand It  |  Daily Guides: Jeffon Seely  |  In a Universe of Plenty, I Am Enough

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The post The Latest Issue appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

Guide for Spiritual Living: Science of Mind magazine is published by Centers for Spiritual Living.

Connect with Centers for Spiritual Living online at CSL.org.

» Download our Submission Guidelines here

» Check out our 2022 magazine themes

Our submission guidelines include:

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Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we are only able to respond to your story if you have been accepted for publication.  If you have not heard from us in two months, please feel free to submit your story elsewhere.

The post How to Submit a Story Idea appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

By Rev. Dr. Ron Fox
Senior Minister at CSLSpaceCoast.org
We gather this day to pray for peace in our day. In this moment, we recognize we are all one, blessed in our diversity, honoring our differences.
We may speak different languages, pray in our own way to the God of our choosing, wear skins of different colors and express our love in ways that differ.
Yet beneath all these differences, there remains an ever-present truth: We are all children of a loving God.
So I now speak these words of peace for each and every one of us.
Let us come together and cherish the gifts we all share on our beautiful planet. Let us planet seeds of love and compassion as we turn away from violence and hatred.
Let us embrace our children and create a world where they feel safe and protected, no longer living with the effects of war and anger.
Let us work together to be sure that each of us has enough to eat and feels free to turn to the God they believe in.
Let us welcome our differences as we glorify our oneness.
Let us remember that the choices we make create the world we live in, so make choices that speak to peace, compassion, dignity, love and forgiveness.
And lastly, let us always remember there is One Life and that Life is God. That Life is expressing as each of our lives right now. Thank you, God. Amen.

The post Thoughts on Peace appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

Let’s make the commitment to ourselves and each other to send more loving, healing energy to every being on this planet.
Below is a beautiful video to take you through the steps.

The post Loving Kindness Meditation appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

Bob Luckin, the mind behind our popular “Murphy’s Dogma” column, shares a tale of compassion, understanding and Oneness through a symbolic journey. Enjoy this online exclusive!

Roy and Randy had been a pair of socks since birth. No one really understood or could explain how socks are paired. The rule was once a pair, always a pair.
Most pairs got along fairly well and lived good lives covering feet of all different sizes. There were old feet, young feet, dancers’ feet, athletes’ feet, just to name a few. Some feet stood for hours while others rarely touched the ground.
No two pairs of socks lived lives that were the same. This wouldn’t be much of a story if Roy and Randy had stayed together warming cold feet, giving comfort to athletes and doing what socks do.
Aside from uncut toenails and some smelly feet, the only thing socks are afraid of is a giant pair of animals, usually living side by side in the kitchen or garage of many homes. The Water Thrasher could easily drown an unprepared pair of socks. Most socks had learned how to hold their breath for long periods, long before they were tossed into the mouths of these animals. If the Water Thrasher wasn’t hungry and didn’t eat them, the wet socks were tossed into the mouth of the Dragon Breather.
Roy and Randy were created white, and the Sock Tender wanted to keep it that way. One spring morning, the Sock Tender tossed them into the mouths of Thrasher and Dragon Breather for the last time. No one knows who ate Randy, but Roy was the only sock found.

He was a clean, lonely, somewhat worn, single left white sock. He had always been a left sock. Some socks were right socks. Usually by the time they are old enough to be worn, socks know if they are a left or a right sock.
For socks, it really isn’t a lifestyle choice. There are a few socks that feel they are left and right. In the sock community, as long as you cover feet, it doesn’t really matter. The saying among socks was, “Socks is socks.”
When socks are not in service, most can be found lounging in a drawer waiting for a call to service. White socks in one drawer, black in another, brown, yellow and multi-colored socks also carefully separated from each other. Why they must be separated is not all that clear. When asked, Sock Tenders just said, “It’s better that way.”
Because Roy was a single sock without a partner, he would never be returned to the drawer for pairs. Instead, he was tossed into the hopper — an orphanage for single socks.
At first, he found himself very frightened. There were red socks, purple socks and socks of many colors. Roy saw a white sock and a black sock dancing the “sock hop,” a dance all single socks in the hopper loved.
Only pairs of socks can walk. Single socks must learn to hop. The socks he had lived with in the drawer never danced and never talked to socks different from themselves. Roy, being very frightened, clung to one side of the hopper and shook. A very old and worn sock with glasses, smoking a pipe, befriended Roy. “Hi, I am a sock-ologist. I am here because I lost my partner, as did you. My job is to help new socks get used to the hopper.”
Sigmund Sock went on. “Every sock here is a unique and perfect sock. Where you came from, most of the socks you spent time with looked so much alike that you didn’t get to notice how unique every sock was. You need to know that sometimes artists, musicians and free thinkers come to the hopper in search of single socks that don’t match. They may choose two left socks — that’s called a same-socks union. Or they may pick a red sock and a blue sock to wear. We love it when that happens! The sock chooser picks us because we are different from each other and because most of us, having learned to love how different we are from each other, fit in easily. We enjoy providing comfort and warmth for those taking the road less traveled, and that makes all the difference.”
Sigmund’s words were comforting. Roy noticed his fear had vanished. Without fear, he could see clearly how each sock was both unique and beautiful. It didn’t feel strange or wrong to hang out with a left sock, a multicolored sock, a tall sock or a short sock.
In the hopper, right socks loved right socks, left socks loved left socks, and the more colors a sock had, the more they had in common with socks of any color. All the socks in the hopper learned to love each other. “It is strange,” Roy thought. “I feel more at home and more alive than I have ever felt before. I am a single sock, but I don’t feel lonely. I feel like all socks are my brothers and sisters.”
Early in the morning, the Sock Tender returned to the hopper, opened it and began looking for Roy. “I found you! I found you!” laughed the Sock Tender. Roy was worried. What did this mean? The Sock Tender was holding Roy in her left hand and Randy in her right hand. Randy hadn’t been eaten! He had been hidden in the folds of a bed sheet when taken out of the Dragon Breather.
It was a warm and tender reunion. Things would never be the same for Roy or Randy. Once back in the drawer, Roy shared his adventure with all the other socks. Before long, black socks had managed to get into the white socks’ drawer. White socks climbed into the brown drawer, and multicolored socks could be seen everywhere.
Early in September, a time now called “September Fest,” the socks decided to have a sock hop. A great band was assembled, and Roy taught every single sock to dance. It was a special time, and each sock understood its own value. Never again would any sock in the world look down on or say unpleasant things about other socks. The old saying, “Socks is socks,” was changed to “Socks is socks. The Sock Maker didn’t make no bad ones.”
© 2016 Rev. Dr. Bob Luckin

The post A Story of Unity: Socks Is Socks appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

His Canine Wisdom Will Leave You Wanting More Each Month »

“Murphy’s Dogma” is a popular column by the beloved Bob Luckin. Follow Murphy and Bob on their adventures in the park and other everyday situations. The lessons they learn together are invaluable for all animals and their humans.

Here’s an example of what Murphy has to share:

A Heart-to-Heart Talk

Most of you know that Rev. Dr. Bob Luckin and I have long talks. What most of you don’t know is that he likes to read me poetry. He thinks I don’t understand, but I do. Poetry is heart music, and heart is something I have a lot of.

Bob has days when he worries and takes negative circumstances too seriously. One day, I sensed he was a little down, so I wrote something for him.

I will share it with you because I think I must do what I can to lift others up. I hope my words encourage you:

The days and nights will always be filled with light, dark, joy, sadness and everything in-between. You bring magic to life. You bring the smiles and laughter that warm the heart.

Love because you can. Laugh until you cry, and cry until all that is left is your smile. Sadness is a storm that can easily overcome you, yet it can never stay in one place very long. Even the greatest storm has no hold on you.

Breathe deeply. Take in all of life — there is no real joy in shallowness. A butterfly embraces the same breeze as an eagle, and a dandelion is rooted in the same ground as the rose.

You are the blossom of possibility, a dream that must come true. You are all that the heart and soul has ever longed to be.

The post Murphy the Human Whisperer appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

In the September 2016 issue under “Letters to the Editor,” reader Helen Pohlig wrote in about her favorite Guide for Spiritual Living authors, including the wisdom of Jesse Jennings, Margaret Stortz and Jane Beach. Her new favorite writer is Eugene Holden. And Helen isn’t the only one — readers want more Eugene!
As promised in “Letters to the Editor,” you can download his entire feature “Surrender to Your Greatest Good in 5 Steps” here.

The post 5 Steps: Surrender to Your Greatest Good appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

Rev. Barry Ebert, associate minister and youth director at Mile Hi Church in Lakewood, Colorado, interviewed artist Patrick McDonnell for our June 2018 cover story.
Barry always brings music to his expanding youth ministry, and he wants to share a special song he wrote to honor of our month’s “Beloved Pets” tribute and photo gallery.

Check out “The Dog Song” here and get your tail waggin’ for the day.

Below is the audio version for your enjoyment as well:

Words and music by Barry Ebert; copyright 2007 Barry Ebert Music; ASCAP  

The post A New Video by Rev. Barry Ebert appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

By Rev. Dr. Bob Luckin
Love others — they are your breath of life.
Love the past, the present and the future.
Be the child who falls to his knees from the power of his own laughter.
Be the song every lover hears in the passion of a perfect union.
Be the leaves on the tallest tree who long to fall and kiss the ground.
Be the love that bends hard corners into hearts and clouds into pillows.
Love the ego you have abandoned along with all the disowned parts of yourself and others.
When there is nothing you have not loved, lay down and sleep.
Lie down and dream the dreams that lovers dream.
When you wake, you will be awakened.
Love everything you touch, everything you see and most of all, love me.
Love me in all my many forms. I am the love you are meant to be.

The post Love Always: A Reflective Reminder appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.

What About Alzheimer’s Disease From a Religious Science Perspective?

For decades, our readers have turned to Jesse Jennings for answers to the tough questions about Religious Science.
Here is an example of how Jennings meets readers with compassion, wisdom and Truth:

QUESTION:

Some spiritual teachers assign specific mental causes to physical conditions. Two close family members have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. What might be the cause?

ANSWER:

I am knowing for you strength and peace as you care for your relatives while they are experiencing this, and I’m sure anyone reading this is also sending you a silent blessing.

You are never alone. I’m sure you know about support groups for families and similar resources, but I also mean you are invisibly, intangibly supported by Spirit (as are they).

Assigning specific causes to conditions is not a practice I recommend. No matter how much experience we have in metaphysical service, none of us knows why anybody else’s reality appears the way it does.

It’s a life’s work just to know why we ourselves manifest particular outcomes. Arriving at how another person caused — or worse, invited — some disease is not comforting to us and can be truly shaming to them.

It is human to speculate, provided our speculations are kindly, but seldom if ever do we get to know.

I wish I could tell you how to cure your loved ones, but instead I’ll offer this about holding the situation in light. Both are expressing life unconventionally, perhaps now forgetful and uncommunicative, but they have not vanished, nor will they.

They are still conscious beings, still at the center of the universe. Where exactly their attention now is, we cannot fathom. Perhaps it has wandered off into the realm it will next inhabit — that after spending a while in space and time, these souls are being drawn into their place of origin, which is beyond both space and time.

Mind, being infinite, cannot withdraw from any part of Itself. Yet our personality, always at choice deep inside, can lead us to process information and express ourselves differently than we ever did.

Again, may I say that you are not alone. Prayer works. Some corner is always turned by going into prayer and realizing that a power greater than any condition is at work.

The post Questions & Answers appeared first on Guide for Spiritual Living.