Fundamental Difference

The start of every year brings an influx of people to gyms and health clubs. Having resolved to lose weight and/or get into shape, a few for the first time, though many are repeat offenders, the intention to change is genuine, but what usually happens? After a few weeks (sometimes a very few) “stuff” begins to interfere. Work ramps up. The kids start or resume an extracurricular activity, the spouse who was supportive in the beginning becomes less so, especially if there are any hints dropped about it becoming a family affair. I’m sure you can add to the list. So, with no real thought we give ourselves license to miss a session or two while the idea of everyone else eating pizza while we try to choke down one more Lean Cuisine becomes intolerable. And life without pastries isn’t really living, right? Soon the only remnants of the gym are the workout clothes piled in the back of the closet and that automatic dues deduction we agreed to from our bank account every month.

Because modes of thinking are contagious the same thing happens in our spiritual life. We read a book or hear a speaker which energizes us in the moment, and we vow to follow a new path. What happens? Gym Think. After a time, the old manner and habits of living reassert themselves and we drift back into old familiar ways of thinking and living. Then a new book or teacher catches our attention and the cycle begins anew.

There is a fundamental difference however between physical and spiritual exercise. The day will come for all when this physical shell will have reached its sell by date, regardless of how many hours we spend working out and/or eating right. However, our essential nature, soul if you prefer, is eternal. So, decide today to place your feet on the path of spiritual growth and let no future vicissitude shake your resolve and when Gym Think creeps in, and it will for it happens to everyone, reject it by turning to God as you understand Him for strength and guidance. Just for today demonstrate prayer and meditation in your life, as if your life depended on it, for in truth it does, and be of service to others, even if that is simply picking up some trash on the street or dropping a quarter in an expired parking meter saving someone from a ticket and make sure you keep these acts to yourself, between you and the Miraculous. Oh, and laying off the pastries coupled with a 30-minute walk 3 or 4 times a week, plenty of water and a good multivitamin can’t hurt. Just sayin.

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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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Serenity, A Day At A Time

The Lord’s Prayer establishes the essential nature of God, that He is in truth our Father in the deepest, most profound respect. One of the promises realized by Living on the Spiritual Basis is “We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace.” True peace of soul brings healing, true place and opens us to understanding and learning utterly beyond what is humanly possible. Even when we are weak, fearful, depressed or believe these tidings could never come true for us, God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Though often trembling, our job is to stay in the action of prayer and meditation and seek the face of our Father, relying on Him who has all knowledge and power. Simple, but not easy. To know that we are safe and protected, possibly as the very foundation of our world is shaking, is a tall order and is only possible with other worldly help and direction, for in truth, Living on the Spiritual Basis we are in but no longer of this world, our job to grow and serve our Father and our fellows, to the best of our ability today, one day at a time.

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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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What It Means To Be Reborn

The term “reborn” has been employed poorly if not downright incorrectly so often its true spiritual meaning has become obscured. Living on the Spiritual Basis we now see that all external happenings are but passing shadows of no permanent importance. We have come to hold in our heart of hearts that to dwell in the Presence of Divine light and knowledge is the only true escape from the enemy to our serenity, fear driven morbid reflection. When our consciousness rises above our enemy, we carry the message of His love and guidance into all our affairs, responding to all seeming trouble with “my heart shall not fear, thy will be done” and we are free. With this spiritual key in hand, understanding who our true spiritual enemy is, the power of faith becomes a working part of our lives, and we are truly reborn in Spirit. 

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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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The choice is always ours.

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” When FDR said this in his first inaugural address on March 4th, 1933 America was in the grip of a deep economic depression, exacerbated by great clouds of dust howling over the central plains of America, bankrupting and displacing millions. FDR understood the paralyzing power of fear. Whether you agree with the political course FDR set this country on is immaterial, the critical point is that as a leader he understood the power of fear. Living on the Spiritual Basis we confront fear where it lives, in our consciousness. Fear brings darkness to our thoughts, squeezing hope out, the sense of impending doom endeavoring to overpower us.

In truth however: Fear is a liar. To be crystal clear: everyone dies of something; the flesh we inhabit one day will fail. Money comes and money goes. Jobs end and begin. We may fall out of love or someone we love may fall out of love with us. Accidents happen. The choice is ours as to how we handle the inevitable twists and turns of life. Do we cower in fear, paralyzed or step out in faith, demonstrating reliance on a power greater than ourselves?

Freedom comes when we turn in all things to the Miraculous which has all knowledge and power, is the light banishing the darkness of fear, providing the keys to the kingdom, replacing the dread surrounding our heart with the surety of salvation, enabling us to meet perceived calamity with poise and serenity, putting the truth to fears lie. How is this accomplished? By choosing consistent prayer, meditation and selfless service in the face of stultifying fear. Our greatest gift is free will; out of free will we choose to create the life and path we walk. Fear or freedom, darkness or light, bondage in self or salvation. The choice is always ours.

Miracles Of Recovery  © Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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To Freely Give

One of the ways we demonstrate spiritual fitness is by our willingness to give, freely, not only in riches but most importantly, of ourselves. Consider for a moment the disheveled individual holding a cardboard sign seeking money for “food.” Now, they may in fact not use the money for food as we would judge it, but does that make their need any less real? A dollar wrapped in a blessing, given with a smile and kindness, saluting the Divine within, provides more relief, opens more pathways of heart than can be experienced with human eyes.

All reap as they sow, by giving with joy, never out of grudging obligation or with strings attached for that defeats divine purpose, serenity and peace with intention are the harvest. So, ask in prayer to be shown how to best be of service, tithing the gift of your time and expertise to those who need your gift. We are greater and more valuable than our fear driven carnal mind often allows or accepts. Remember: you are a child of the Divine, directly connected in truth to all of creation.

So regardless of the size of our pocket book, a genuine smile accompanied with gentle eye contact wrapped in a kind word to those suffering, acknowledging them, is a tithe that multiplies itself in ever widening circles, helping to release them, and ourselves, from the bondage of self, a simple confirmation of the relationship we all have with the truly Miraculous. “Let there be peace, and let it begin with me.”

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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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Growing Into Divine Instruments

What does it mean to be an instrument of God’s will? Since we start this life the same way, comprised of the same basic ingredients, we are all essentially the same “type” of instrument. So, for this illustration, think radio as the instrument. When I was a young man cars came equipped with AM radios, FM an option at additional cost and 8 track tape players the only aftermarket option for enhancing the musical experience. Since then technology has advanced through cassette players, CD’s, MP 3’s and now commercial free satellite radio with hundreds of channels for every taste; quite an evolution. 

Our Spiritual evolution is very similar. At birth we were simple receivers with limited range. As we grew our capacity, interests and range increased, our channels becoming more varied and powerful, some positive, some unfortunately negative. When fear controls the selection, we are subjected to a continuous diet of morbid reflection in its many guises, pulling us away from the light of freedom and into depression, selfish and self-centered thinking and actions. However just as with our radio we can change the channel, turning from the lower to the higher, embracing love and Divine guidance over fear-based thinking and living. 

So, if there is a negative tune playing in your minds’ eye turn the channel (like when Hey Mickey from Toni Basil comes on) to thoughts of hope and peace through directed prayer, meditation and selfless service becoming Divine instruments of love and guidance, not just hearing the tune, but becoming it. “Hey Mickey your so fine you blow my mind hey Mickey” god I hate that song. Forgive me for bringing it up.

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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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Judge We Must, Condemn We Must Not

The judging of others is a greatly misunderstood Spiritual principle. We not only should judge the behavior of others but Living on the Spiritual Basis makes it a requirement. The difficulty arises when we confuse righteous judgment with condemnation.

When we condemn it places us in a position to be harmed, for we have assumed a morally elevated position, an attitude of “better than” if you will, which of course is false. No one is above or below another in the sight of God. Though our paths may be very different, our challenges and lessons in life diverse, no one is beyond grace and forgiveness in Spirit which always manifests if we truly mean business, desiring change. This does not mean crimes and transgressions are forgotten or ignored, but we must be willing to go to any lengths for salvation, for the ultimate freedom from the bondage of self. So, we condemn the act, not the actor.

All reap as they have sown, and unfortunately some will never seek enlightenment, choosing fear over freedom. However we are mistaken if we condemn them or wish (or worse desire) harm to anyone. Hate does not cease with hate. Anger is never assuaged with more anger. Condemnation never builds character or leads to freedom.

So judge righteously and the whole world improves, condemn and we all suffer for we are all connected in Spirit, all children of the Divine Presence.
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Your Awakening Manifest

As we progress on the path of awakening we will naturally become more sensitive to the world and its suffering and as such, the adversary Fear and its children: depression, anxiety and morbid reflection have seemingly grown stronger, more insistent. This is natural for many things which escaped our notice before embarking on this path now touch us deeply since we are operating at increased levels of awareness so take heart for this is a clear indicator that you are on the right path. Nothing has fundamentally changed however for Fear and its offspring can only gain purchase if we fail to affirm Divine love and guidance in our life regularly. Look at it this way: you build a fire but if you fail to regularly add new fuel, it will soon sputter and die. We add “fuel” to our spiritual fire by means of consistent prayer, meditation and service. The very activities which raised your consciousness in the first place making you more receptive! So take heart, though the world and its mostly self-inflicted suffering touches you more deeply and profoundly, the surety of your role as an instrument of peace and enlightenment is evident because of this increased awareness, your awakening manifest.

So though troubled we stay the course, asking in prayer and meditation what we can do each day for the those who still suffer, remembering always we are instruments of Divine will, and just like a musical instrument nothing happens until the maestro takes it up and begins to play. So we strive to be the best instrument possible, our fire fed regularly and consistently and though we may be terribly flawed, perhaps still wracked with guilt and fear, when we place ourselves in the Master’s hands the notes are miraculous, our fire bright and inviting to all who seek comfort and healing, causing Heaven itself to rejoice and we are free.

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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved

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Buns Of Steel and Fool’s Gold

Rarely does a week pass without some new self-help book/video with all the answers for life and living start making the talk show rounds or the diet to end all diets splashes across the cover of one of those magazines by the grocery checkout counter. Then there is the miracle food or supplement which will cure your ill, whatever it is, popping up in your social media feed or that new revolutionary piece of exercise equipment that will provide the perfect body IN ONLY 20 MINUTES 3 TIMES A WEEK! being pitched by some impossibly fit and trim individual. Admit it, just like me, you have been tempted. But will drinking some berry juice really change my life or a three-day seminar addressing all of life’s questions the answer and who wouldn’t want a flat sexy tummy or buns of steel IN ONLY 20 MINUTES A DAY 3 TIMES A WEEK! Like a wise man once said: if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Salesmen and marketing executives peddle fool’s gold to separate us from our money, that’s their job but unlike banking on that unrealistic shortcut to six-pack abs, Living on the Spiritual Basis provides a pearl beyond price for it is the shortest road to the peace and sense of true freedom each of us truly crave. “Simple but not easy, a price has to be paid.” That price is the surrender of self and our focus on selfish things. When we shift our focus to the Indwelling Creative Life Force, where true gold is found, we begin to experience the Truth of Being, finding our true place in the fabric of the Miraculous. Perhaps I am too cynical and ultimate awakening or BUNS OF STEEL! are just a mouse click or phone call away, operators standing by (have your credit card handy), but as the old prospector remarked to the greenhorn about fool’s gold: “When you think you have found gold you probably haven’t; but when you do find it, you will know it for certain.”

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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved
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“I planned on cleaning my room, really”

Emerson said, “I would love to listen to your words but your actions speak so loudly I cannot hear you.” To grow spiritually we must Walk the way we talk. The concept of a track record is lost on many people. We are all measured by our actions; our intentions, though perhaps noble, are meaningless if not followed up by the requisite action. How many times did it take for your child to tell you they would clean their room or some other chore which they then immediately blew off, before you wised up to their true intention? Few I would guess. Often, I have had someone come to me for advice, agree on a course of action to address the issue at hand and then proceed to launch in exactly the wrong direction. I often wonder why they bother, but hold to the fact that asking means they wish to follow a different path, even though in their heart they have already decided on what they are going to do, the consequences denied or ignored.

When my son was a child I asked him why he agreed to clean his room, then blow it off, knowing full well that a reckoning would come when he didn’t. The response was “I planned on doing it.” When asked when that was exactly a blank look was followed by “I don’t know.” A parent’s joy comes in knowing that one day our children will be on the other side of that exchange.

It cannot be said enough; if you wish to be respected, be respectful, if you desire love in your life, be loving, honesty comes from being honest and intention has never cleaned a single room. The aspects of living we desire in our lives will only materialize when we demonstrate our intentions in action by treating those about us in the manner we wish to be treated in. Nothing real happens until action is taken, for talk is cheap and true leaders lead from the front.
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© Vincent Lee Jones All Rights Reserved
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