Day 10 - I Give Thanks For ...

My current gratitude practice is to share at least 10 things for which I am grateful for each day without repetition.

Today, I Give Thanks For ...

Adult Lunch Box

1. Remembering to make and bring a salad, pickles and, olives for my lunch today.
2. Tuna in foil packs that keep well in my desk.
3. The way that people completely stopped traffic on Crooks Rd to allow a family of Canada Geese to safely cross the busy road. There was no fussing or horn blowing.
4. Washing and vacuuming my car this morning on the way to work.
5. Installing the floor liners for my car that arrived over the weekend.
6. Replacing my too thick bi-fold wallet with a Ridge wallet.
7. Remembering to bring my lunch pack kit and coffee travel mug home.
8. Skinny Pop popcorn.
9. Staying within my budget with so many Black Friday month and Cyber Week deals and the continuous assault of texts, emails, and notifications about stuff to buy.
10. Mr. & Mrs. Claus suits in their containers in the Lobby at URO which reminds me of many holiday seasons I donned the Santa suit.

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Thanks As A Way Of Living - Day 14

The Light of Christmas Shines for You!

1. I am grateful for the people in the neighborhood around our Spiritual Center who stop by to say how nice the decorations look and then inquire about who we are which gives me and opportunity to share my "elevator speech" about Unity of Royal Oak and invite them to attend.
2. I am grateful for Barbara'a suggestions about CPAP's and other Apnea therapies. Keep me from ignoring the issue.
3. I am grateful for the 18 hats that were stuffed in our mail slot when I opened up today. Little fluffs of love for Foster kids.
4. Grateful for good ideas for January theme that came out of my weekly meeting with Kim.
5. Grateful for an open and honest conversation about issues related to building rental. I appreciate it when people bring their concerns

Always in Love,

Ric

#LivingThanks

Thanks as a Way of Living - my gratitude practice till the end of the year (at least). A minimum, of five things each day that I am grateful for and why without repeats.

(c) 2016 by Richard L. Beattie, All Rights Reserved

Happy Independence Day #238!

On July 4, 1776 our Forebears launched an experiment in self determination and self governance that was radical and . The Thirteen colonies that heretofore were part of the British Empire announced to the world that a new nation had been born, founded on a powerful idea-- the idea of freedom. This ongoing experiment adopted the name, United States of America.

I have always loved this lines from the preamble to The Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Those words are truer today than they were when written. We have come a long way thus far: Slavery was abolished; Women can vote, The Civil Rights Act was passed, Couples of different races can marry and in some states we have Marriage Equality for same gender couples. We celebrate the progress!

In the midst of the rightful celebrations, we realize that we still have work to do: Religious intolerance is on the rise, women are still not equal to men in many ways, we continue to experience racial tension, marriage equality is not yet nationwide and we have a widening gap between those who have and those who do not.

As I reflect on Independence Day 2014 one thing that really stands out is that the nations founders created a system for government that was based on principles that were ahead of their time. At our core is a Divine Idea that all people are equal--all are expressions of One life. We are evolving into a truer version of who were are. Each step is important whether large or small. I celebrate the process that has brought us this far and I trust the the journey continues.

In the midst of the parties and fireworks, let us bow our heads for a moment and remember that freedom is not free. This land of the free and home of the brave is the most amazing place to call home.

Happy Independence Day America!


Ric Beattie





(c) 2014 by Richard L. Beattie, all rights are reserved.

Happy Birthday to these United States of America!

 The  Ideas of religious freedom and self governance by the people launched a movement 235 years ago that continues to evolve. Thank you to those military & civilians who have paid with sweat & blood over the years for the freedoms we enjoy. We are not perfect and we are not finished yet. May America be a blessing now and always.


I say may America be a blessing because I often hear people say God Bless America. And yes, I too want God's Blessing on America and the entire planet. We are not separate from each other. All of the nations, people, life and this planet are interconnected on multiple levels.


Technology has made it possible to communicate with and, often, see and speak with almost anyone, anywhere at anytime. A couple of years ago, I officiated a wedding in Royal Oak Michigan that used Skype to link with the bride's family in Mongolia. They were able to be a part of the ceremony in real time. I met people in South Africa in 1997 that I regularly email, Facebook and Skype with. More than 500 million people are connected on Facebook alone. Of the worlds 6.9 billion people, 2.1 billion are Internet users.


Corporations span the globe, rapidly moving goods around the planet. Our economies are increasingly intertwined in complex ways. While global commerce has positive and negative aspects, we are still learning how to live on a massively integrated scale.


The ongoing movement of Spirit, by all the names and ways we understand It, is the ultimate connector. More and more, people are realizing that we are not separate beings with individual lives. Rather, we are individualization's of One life. We are part of one living organism called Life.


The rate of interconnections is increasing. Have you noticed? We can allow this transformation to drag us along or we can choose to be intentionally  involved with this exciting evolution in consciousness.


God Bless America and may America continue to be a blessing to all.










(c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie