Physical activity and exercise in moderation is always a good idea, but when it crosses over into narcissism, it becomes as sure a block to spiritual growth as any drink or drug.
Source: Riding The Pale Horse
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Riding The Pale Horse
The four biblical horsemen in The Book Of Revelation are tied to the end times but I will leave that discussion for another day. That said there is still much we can learn spiritually from these examples. Consider the first three horsemen from an individual spiritual perspective: The Pale Horse represents the physical body and its destruction through all forms of addiction, the negative as well as the seemingly positive. The Red Horse brings destruction by our emotions and feelings and The Black Horse destruction through intellect.
To ride the Pale Horse means we are controlled, driven by physical wants and desires, addictions if you will. Drugs, alcohol, gambling are obvious, but what of the individual who is addicted to exercise, work or sex? The gym, running, biking or the office can become an escape from the world just as powerful as any intoxicant and equally spiritually destructive when taken to extreme. The difference being someone using intoxicants has a difficult time “fitting” into polite society while the workaholic is often praised for their accomplishments, even as other areas of their life are sacrificed in the name of success or “providing” for the family. The same family they are never present for, the estranged children seeking acknowledgment, often by acting out negatively, the neglected spouse who ultimately files for divorce, resulting in the workaholics’ lament: don’t they see I am doing it all for them?
Physical activity and exercise in moderation is always a good idea, but when it crosses over into narcissism, it becomes as sure a block to spiritual growth as any drink or drug. Sex is part of our nature, so it cannot be bad, yet the stories of lives, careers and families ruined from unchecked sexual desire are legion. The problem begins when sex becomes the singular focus, living only for sensual escape, having lost sight of the true purpose: that of two people sharing the most intimate of experiences, the touching of two souls in embrace, a shared act of love. To be clear: hard work, exercise, the occasional cocktail or glass of wine or enjoying sex with a partner are not the problem, we ride the Pale Horse when these pursuits become dominate in our lives, when we lose all sense of proportion and become lost in the bondage of self, closed off from our true Spiritual Nature.
© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved
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Heathens In Our Head
Miracles Of Recovery
© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved
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Heathens In Our Head
Heathens In Our Head
Everything we say, do or observe is recorded. Everything. Not by God, or some heavenly scribe watching our every move, but by each of us. It is written upon our heart, in our hand, recorded in our subconscious. Every questionable or negative thing we have ever said or done (as well as the good, but the good is never the problem) is still with us and it often seems the Devil himself unleashes these “heathens in our head”into the forefront of our thinking in an attempt to destroy our peace of mind and heart and fill us with fear, shame and all manner of negativity.
To be clear, we have no control over the negative memories that float up from our subconscious, driven by the heathens of morbid reflection, but we have complete control over the action we take when we become aware of these berserkers attempting to destroy our serenity.Our course is simple, we turn from the lower to the higher in prayer and meditation as soon as we become aware of the assault. We turn the sunlight of the spirit upon the discordant thoughts and assert the truth of Being: that we have been forgiven, restored, completely and forever, that Our Father’s love is unconditional, with us, in us now; negative thoughts phantoms, insubstantial,powerless in the face of His love and guidance.
The heathens are patient and cunning so we must remain vigilant in order to address negativity and morbid reflection as soon as the assault begins. The truth will set you free and the truth is we are now living on a different basis, the basis of trusting and relying upon God. Upon this basis the record, all the record, of our lives becomes our greatest asset in helping others to freedom from the bondage of self, it’s value inestimable, heathens be damned.
Miracles Of Recovery
© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved
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Persevere
“Pain is the only instrument sharp enough to cut away the excess of self.” Pain is what motivates us. Mother Teresa was motivated by the pain of those suffering around her. Martin Luther King Jr. was motivated by the pain he saw in the inequality of life based on skin color. The great spiritual teachers, Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Muhammad and others moved to act, often at the risk of their own lives, becoming selfless to address the spiritual, emotional and physical pain they witnessed in the world.
One of the central qualities they all shared: perseverance, they never stopped. Regardless of circumstance, fear or seeming failure, they persevered. So, just for today, when the voice of the true adversary, Fear, begins to whisper in our ear, cajoling us to reflect morbidly to stifle our growth as children of the Miraculous: we will take one more step, say one more prayer, help one more person and never stop, for we now know in our heart of hearts we are not alone, are growing day by day, sometimes quickly sometimes slowly, into amazing instruments of peace in demonstration, serenity in action.
© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved
Harmless Gossip?
Vigilance is the price for continued Spiritual Freedom. So, restraint of pen and tongue is not only a secular truth but a Spiritual axiom as well if we wish to be free.
Source: Harmless Gossip?
Harmless Gossip?
Vigilance is the price for continued Spiritual Freedom. Drifting into negative thinking or speech typically happens without any conscious thought or plan on our part. Those “good” natured gossip sessions with a friend or joining in (or worse, instigating) a huddle at work complaining about a disagreeable co-worker or boss or worse taking sides in any romantic or marital dispute to simply speaking about someone for any reason where we would be embarrassed if we discovered they overheard us, demonstrates we have dropped our spiritual guard. If we are saying anything about anyone we would be unwilling to say to them in person, we place ourselves at risk. Gossiping and tale telling rarely (if ever) embodies the patience, tolerance, kindliness and love Living on the Spiritual Basis requires. As far as taking sides in romantic squabbles, we have all probably done this only to become the enemy upon their reconciliation, so through bitter experience we have learned to be supportive but avoid engaging in character assassination, no matter how seemingly egregious someone’s behavior appears to be. One of the great truths in life is that every story has two sides and when it comes to romance, they often only have a passing resemblance to one another.
So restraint of pen and tongue is not only a secular truth but a Spiritual axiom as well if we wish to be free.
© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved
Seeking Direction
Everyone requires help at times in their lives. Everyone. There is a part of us though, and not a good part, which routinely suggests we do not need help or direction, we can, or worse should,do it on our own, figure it out. Now if it is failing to follow written directions and finding ourselves with a half assembled something or other that has to be disassembled because we left a key part out or refusing to ask for directions when driving are one thing, but what of our spiritual life?
Thinking we can “do it on our own” in this area invariably leads to needless difficulty and suffering. The problem lies in self, manifesting as baseless fear; that we will either be judged negatively by others or worse, we are supposed to know how to live spiritually, the truth of being just”popping” into our consciousness unaided. Nonsense. Every spiritual teacher and leader have stood in this place, without exception. Whether it be Jesus, Buddha, Moses or Muhammad all received direction and guidance from the Great Creative Intelligence at the heart of everything and learned as they grew spiritually,their consciousness raised as a result. Now you and I may not currently have the kind of direct access the aforementioned had, but it matters not.
Spiritual guides, teachers and fellowships, both sectarian and religious based abound. Our job is seeking where we are, and as has been said, when the student is ready the teacher will appear. There will be missteps along the way, but these often provide some of the most powerful lessons. And when the adversary, Fear,often cloaked in pride, whispers in our ear that we don’t need help we now understand this is the moment to reach out, for if we fail to do so we become prey to all manner of spiritual unease and disease opening the door to the bondage of self. Oh,and just a thought, maybe this Christmas read the directions before assembly? Miracles Of Recovery.
Thanksgiving 2018
Source: Thanksgiving 2018
Thanksgiving 2018
Thanksgiving is an interesting Holiday, its history associated with all manner of things depending on one’s historical perspective, but principally the Pilgrims giving thanks to God for their continued survival in an often-hostile environment, any help thousands of miles and weeks away at best. Today the thanks given seems mostly for days off work for some, time and a half for others, football, ditching the diet and workout routine for consuming far too much food, family hopefully, friends probably, early bird Black Friday sales, that nap after dinner finished off of course with pumpkin or pecan pie.
Having chosen to live the examined life we need to additionally find a few minutes for quiet contemplation, giving thanks for the spiritual lessons learned, and the people who have touched us this past year, for the Love freely given and received. Giving thanks as well for the new person we are becoming, our unfoldment in Spirit an ongoing process, testifying to our daily growth as a child of the light, learning to walk free of the fear driven life. Oh, and have seconds of that pie, I mean, it is Thanksgiving, Right?
© Vincent Lee Jones Living In Spirit All Rights Reserved
Thanksgiving 2018
Thanksgiving is an interesting Holiday, it’s history associated with all manner of things depending on one’s historical perspective, but principally the Pilgrims giving thanks to God for their continued survival in an often-hostile environment, any help thousands of miles and weeks away at best. Today the thanks given seems mostly for days off work for some, time and a half for others, football, ditching the diet and workout routine for consuming far too much food, family hopefully, friends probably, early bird Black Friday sales, that nap after dinner finished off of course with pumpkin or pecan pie.
Having chosen to live the examined life we need to additionally find a few minutes for quiet contemplation, giving thanks for the spiritual lessons learned, and the people who have touched us this past year, for the Love freely given and received. Giving thanks as well for the new person we are becoming,our unfoldment in Spirit an ongoing process, testifying to our daily growth as a child of the light, learning to walk free of the fear driven life. Oh, and have seconds of that pie, I mean, it is Thanksgiving, Right?
Vincent Lee Jones 