One grateful week!

                 I Am Grateful for:

1. One week of compiling this gratitude list.
2. My ability to remain grounded in the midst of the storm.
3. Meeting Ed posthumously via officiating his memorial service.
4. Costco Gas
5. I am grateful for the breath I am taking now.
6. Cashews
7. Having food service in Mystic Grounds again.
8. My glasses
9. Tooth paste
10. Voice Mail

Copyright (c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie, all rights are reserved.

Gratitude that grows 11/12/11

         Today I am Grateful For:

1. Crisp (cold) almost winter mornings.
2. Bright sunny late fall afternoons.
3. Officiating weddings and commitment ceremonies
4. The sound and  smell of leaves crunching as I walk through them
5. Having awesome neighbors.
6. Living in the Rochester area
7. My niece Jordan Rose posting new pictures of Noah and Allie on Facebook.
8. That I can still be a computer nerd even though I am a minister.
9.  Friendships that stretch back 40 years.
10. Knowing that all of my needs are met.
11. Turkey chili

Copyright (c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie, all rights are reserved.

Grateful for Veterans and ...

 "It only takes one to end the war, me. I'm the one." ~Byron Katie


I am grateful for:

1. Veterans who have responded to the call, past or present, of our nation to safeguard our liberty and freedom. May their sacrifice never be in vain.
2. The telephone and my freedom to speak freely and without fear.
3. Having a car that runs and is paid for in full.
4. My own love of reading, which has opened the world to me.
5. The be grateful picture above that a friend sent to me.
6. The core team of volunteers for our upcoming rotating shelter week. We went through an orientation with the folks from the Macomb County Warming Center last night.
7. The gorgeous full (?) moon tonight
8. Being able to wear my favorite pair of blue jeans again.
9. Wireless Internet access all over our church
10. Google Music which lets me access all of my music from anywhere via the internet

Copyright (c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie , all rights are reserved.

Great & Grateful - 11/10/11

Giving thanks from my grateful heart for:

1. That my alarm clock keeps ringing until I awaken.
2. The satisfaction (and clean nails) that come from washing the dishes.
3. A fried egg sandwich with cheese on toast which reminds me of Grandma Ledger
4. Getting a birthday card from the Youth Ministry folks even though I moved out of that department more than 2 years ago.
5. Having an office at the church with windows.
6. A text message from my brother Darrin asking if I was able to fix the water heater. (Yes, I did yesterday!)
7. A hot shower when I want to take one.
8. A warm home.
9. A comfortable bed.
10. Clean underwear everyday.
11. The power to choose.

Martha Creek delivered our Sunday Lesson on November 6, 2011 and challenged us with the question, "What would happen if you woke up this morning and all you had was what you thanked God for yesterday?" She then invited us to keep a gratitude journal of at least 10 things we were grateful for each day for at least the next 21 days (with no items repeated) as a spiritual practice of developing an attitude of gratitude.


Copyright (c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie , all rights are reserved.

Gratitude list for Wednesday, 11/9/11

Today, I am grateful for:

1. The sweet smell of smoke from my neighbors wood stove wafting over the neighborhood this morning.
2. A solitary white crane fishing in the reeds across the pond; framed by reflections of russet, gold and yellow leaves.
3. Noticing how much easier it is getting to bend over and tie my shoes.
4. A profound sense of the state of Grace within which I live and move.
5. The awesome ability to change my thoughts & attitudes and therefore to change my world.
6. Having many choices about what to eat for breakfast.
7. Having close friends who love me and are willing to call me out on my stuff!
8. The stillness of this quiet morning.
9. An extra roll of bathroom tissue under the sink
10. The "balance" lessons learned watching squirrels busily hiding nuts for winter and taking time to play.
11. This friendly, supportive Universe I live in.
12. The hot water heater being out, which has led me to a do-it-yourself website and videos on how to change a thermocouple.
13. Hot Water, yeah!!!!!

Martha Creek delivered our Sunday Lesson on 11/6/11 and challenged us all with the question, "What would happen if you woke up this morning and all you had was what you thanked God for yesterday?" She then invited us to keep a gratitude journal of at least 10 things we were grateful for each day for at least the next 21 days (with no items repeated) as a spiritual practice of developing an attitude of gratitude.


Copyright (c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie , all rights are reserved.

Gratitude list for 11/08/11

This day, I am grateful for:

1. My mom! I am not sure she knows how much she means to me at times.
2. The lone tree with bright red leaves left intact at the edge of the church yard. It seems to stand alone as a silent sentinel.
3. The non-stop stream of ideas that flowed forth in our marketing team meeting today.
4. This autumn mornings mist.
5. Receiving an invitation to a special first birthday party!
6. The support that appears as helpful volunteers with amazing skills exactly when they are needed.
7. The guy in the blue Ram pickup who opened a space for me to change lanes on the freeway this afternoon.
8. My neighbor, Danny, who mowed/mulched the leaves in my yard.
9. Crisply starched blue/yellow checkered shirt with button down collar - my favorite!
10. My friend and coworker Denise whose nagging makes me nuts and makes my world work smoother.

‎Martha Creek delivered our Sunday Lesson on 11/6/11 and challenged us all with the question, "What would happen if you woke up this morning and all you had was what you thanked God for yesterday?" She then invited us to keep a gratitude journal of at least 10 things we were grateful for each day for at least the next 21 days (with no items repeated) as a spiritual practice of developing an attitude of gratitude.


Copyright (c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie , all rights are reserved.

Gratitude list for 11/7/11

Today, I am grateful for:

1 - Work that is my passion, vocation and avocation
2 - Strong, hot coffee to start the day
3 - Scrambled eggs & toast
4 - November energy (my birth month)
5 - Indoor bathrooms
6 - Having a washing machine
7 - The furnace in my home
8 - An always expanding consciousness of God
9 - An amazing family
10 - Love that wraps itself around me as hundreds of hugs and smiles.

‎Martha Creek delivered our Sunday Lesson on 11/6/11 and challenged us all with the question, "What would happen if you woke up this morning and all you had was what you thanked God for yesterday?" She then invited us to keep a gratitude journal of at least 10 things we were grateful for each day for at least the next 21 days (with no items repeated) as a spiritual practice of developing an attitude of gratitude.

Jamey Rodemeyer, 14-Year-Old Boy, Commits Suicide After Gay Bullying, Parents Carry On Message (VIDEO)

Jamey Rodemeyer, 14-Year-Old Boy, Commits Suicide After Gay Bullying, Parents Carry On Message (VIDEO)

Jamey Rodemeyer had the love of his family and had even posted an "It Gets Better" video on Youtube last May. Evidently but the bullying (which can be intense in middle and high school) was intense and in the end, this bright 14 year old took his own life on September 18, 2011

When I was in high school (in the early 70's) three kids from our area took their own lives. They couldn't handle the constant harassing because others assumed they were gay. I know that two of those kids were indeed gay and the third was questioning his feelings. Unfortunately, he never got to sort things out.

Love for all people or fear of some. Each of us choose by the words we speak and think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtoBwOWc6Zs

Vulnerable

Two blocks from the end of my walk this morning I was charged by 3 dogs, including a pit bull or pit mix. Although they backed me up against a pickup truck, I was not bitten. The owner and her 20 something daughter had a hard time getting the dogs under control. No collars on the dogs, no leads. Telling me that they won't bit as they snapped, growled and kept trying to surround me. I did report the incident to the Sheriff  and animal control. Afterward I was absolutely drained emotionally. What if I had been a child or the older guy who runs in our neighborhood.

I am still shaking my head at the entire scene. The incident left me feeling vulnerable in a way that startled me.

I love dogs and do not blame any specific breed however I do think that owners of aggressive dogs should manage them responsibly.

Now, I need to get the dog in my head under control.

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

Minister Resigns After Church Vote for Gay Clergy, Christian News

Minister Resigns After Church Vote for Gay Clergy, Christian News

In this article, The Rev. Andrew Coghill announced that he was stepping down from his pulpit in a Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) church because of his opposition to gay clergy which the General Assembly moved a step closer to ordaining.

He is quoted, "The Cross is not simply to be preached, it is to be lived." And I absolutely agree.

The cross bridges the apparent gap between divinity and humanity & calls us into a life in relationship to God based on Grace and not on the Law. To live the cross is to follow Jesus and his admonitions & instructions to "Love one another as I have loved you."

To be anything less that I was created to be is blasphemous. Someone recently asked how many homosexuals does God need to create before we get the message that everyone is made in the image and after the likeness of God.

Celebrate your life for it is a wonderful and unique expression of the very Life of God.

Only Love!

Ric

(c) 2011 by Richard L. Beattie

Love is the Guide

Dear God,

We remember that You are the unifying force that links all life.
In the stillness, we connect as One—heart to heart and mind to mind.
From this Oneness flows the guidance, ideas and courage we need to:

Cool reactors
Calm fears
Feed children
Love one another
Restore the planet
Heal the broken
End wars
And change course.

The effects of our error thinking are evident in many places on our planet.
Today, we move beyond effect to the deeper level of cause.
Now is the time for us to unite in thought, prayer and Love.
Remind us God that in You, All is well.
Thank You.
Amen

(c) Copyright 2011 by Richard L. Beattie, all rights are reserved

Waiting for the Storm

I love snow storms. Perhaps I should say I love to be safely at home (or in a cabin with a fire and someone special) with everything I need to stay home for several days when a storm is raging.. I enjoy the imposed slowdown as well as the display of quiet power. Frozen water is tiny flakes that weight almost nothing accumulate as a formidable force capable of stopping our machinery, shutting down airports and train depots.


For several days the weather people have been predicting the big storm was coming, 10-15 inches of snow and the likelihood that most everything would be shut down for a couple of days. The church was closing early so that we could all get home before the storm made its appearance. On the way home, I stopped at the grocery store to make certain that I would not have to go out for several days if needed.


When I got home, I noticed that I had bough ingredients to make comfort food, or the food from my two grandmothers' kitchens.Supplies for chicken soup, chili and chocolate chip cookies. As I work through "A Course in Weight Loss," I'm simply noticing the connections between my emotional state, in this case, the storm and being safe with Grandma by recreating the smells and tastes of her kitchen.


I don't know if the storm will deliver as forecast, but I have experienced another important aha about my eating habits. 


Keeping it as real as I can!
Ric

A bunch of Oneness

It is January 11, 2011 or 1/11/11 for some reason I have been noticing the clock at 11:11 frequently for the last few days, and then again today. I take both the date and my noticing the time as pointing to our oneness. We are all connected for these is only Life which expresses itself in so many wonderful ways including you and me.


I am one with the One!


Peace,


Ric

River Rushes Over Me

Hey God,

You are the River like in this song
running through my life.

Sometimes gentle

and sometimes

wild and raging.

W i d e then narrow, 
fast and all at once still and serene.

I am once again navigating the rapids of change.
Life is asking more of me.
my past life 
is rushing up in its wild and raw state-- flooding my mind and emotions.

In the very moment I am overwhelmed by shame and anger

The River washes over me
Grace floods my heart and awareness.
I am a little smoother for the journey.
Oh Yeah!

Always in Love,


Ric

"Rolling River God" performed by Bridgette Bryant at Agape

(c) 2011 Richard L, Beattie , all rights reserved.

Lesson 1 continues - The voice -vs- The Voice.

(This post is in relation to Lesson 1 in the book, A Course in Weight Loss by Marianne Williamson. This is a journey that I am traveling personally and facilitating a group of people through at Renaissance Unity.)


From the emails I have received, conversations shared and posts in our group area, I am not the only one who is having a tough time getting started on or processing through this list of 25+ words. 


There are two voices in my mind. The voice of my ego: shrill, judgmental, fearful, absolutely committed to keeping things, me stuck exactly where I have been for so long. The other Voice, the Voice for God: the voice of Love, calling to me to rise up and into a higher possibility, calling me to face the fears and move through them, reminding me that we are all connected and that I am not alone, reminding me that I do not have to rely on myself alone.


Just reading the list slowly, as MW suggests, triggers my monkey mind  to go in several directions at once. One direction is something like, "Oh really Ric, what do you know about changing your image in relation to weight, have you looked in the mirror lately?"  Another direction my ego takes is, "If you are really openly honest about all of these things, they (the congregation/you)  will know how weak, messed up, incompetent, nuts you really are!"  Looking at the ways I have shamed myself, judged both myself and others, dealt with injustice, been unjust, been fearful -  oh there is the trigger word for today, fear.


Fear of  letting myself down, fear of failing the congregation, fear of failing, fear of not being able to follow through. Fear of being a fool. Fear of allowing myself to be vulnerable & transparent and being ridiculed. No, that isn't the big one. Fear of having shared publicly in a sermon,  in the class,  through this blog and my conversations and then failing to make the changes personally.


I realize I am at choice, I can continue living the way I have been which is slowly killing me by limiting my physical activities and isolating me, even in a crowd of people. Crying tears in silence, rather like the tears of the clown. Or I can dare to follow The Voice for love & life and my highest and best - calling me to change and be the man I was created to be - and encourage others to live their best lives too.


So I press on, a word at a time, a painful memory at a time, a thought at a time. It's just a thought. I can hear Katie say, "a thought has no bearing on reality". If the thought is bringing me stress, I question it until it lets go of me, releases my mind. Each thought is bringing me useful information that I can take to inquiry. 


I am grateful for "A Course in Weight Loss"  that I am certain Marianne Williamson wrote for me. And I am grateful too  that I have The Work to process the list of stressful thoughts  my ego would use to keep me stuck. I find it interesting that earlier this year I attended The School for The Work. Then again, is it interesting or Divine Order? I find the universe is very friendly and supportive when I notice. More importantly, I am grateful for those sweet souls who are traveling this path with me.


Yes I can do this work and transform my life! And you can too because together, we create an incredible field of potentiality.


Only Love,


Ric

The Connection Between Food Stains & A Wall of Bricks

One hundred thirty-five people showed up for the first class in the series focused on Marianne Williamson's book A Course in Weight Loss this afternoon. So many people holding an intention together has created a powerful field of resonance. I am so grateful to have such a band of travelers on this journey. Many dear friends that I know well and another group of people that I don't know so well yet. 


My approach to teaching this is very different that anything I have done in the past. It isn't like I have mastered this material already and am now sharing what I know.  This class is live and alive.  The strategy  I have been guided to follow is to share my own journey as honestly and self revealing as I can. We are going to travel this journey of discovery and healing, together. 


The assignment for our next meeting on January 23 is to read and journal the items in Lesson 1, Tear Down the Wall. The idea behind the lesson is that we have  built a wall of bricks between ourselves and other people/life in order to protect ourselves.


The first "brick" in the wall is shame. So many images flood my mind, so much shame in me about my body, food, eating, clothing, etc. 


On New Year's Eve, two of my dearest friends and I decided to check out the "scene" in Royal Oak after we finished our annual Burning Bowl service. Royal Oak was host to a free concert and ball drop and it had been years since any of us had done anything on New Year's Eve.


We began our evening with dinner. After a wait for a table (we did not have reservations) , we were seated in a booth.  I normally do not sit at booths in restaurants because I cannot sit forward at my current size. Most people do not realize that they sit forward as they eat to keep the fork and food over their plate. If something drops from fork or mouth, it ends up back on the plate. 


When I sit in a booth that is fairly narrow, I often find that I am reclining slightly,  away from the table. If any food falls from my fork or a drip of soup or whatever, it ends up on my shirt. I knew that a couple of items had fallen as we had eaten our meal but when I went to the mens room and had a look at myself in the mirror, I was mortified. Several small stains were plainly visible along with the mother of all gravy stains, clearly visible. My attempt to clean myself up just left a larger, more visible smear.


I hurriedly got back to my friends and let them know that I was tired and going home. I was too ashamed to share that I was going home because I had stains all over the front of my shirt. I  know that my friends love me unconditionally and would not judge me and still the shame was so great, I could barely stand. Carefully, I moved through the crowd to the relative safety/isolation of my car and then home. 


This is just one shameful incident and shame is only one brick in a wall that is high and thick and so very effective at keeping others/love away.


Dear God,
Help me notice the feelings and thoughts that have formed into bricks.
Help me release them to You so that I might be whole.
I want to love and be loved.
Help me let Love into my life and heart.
May we all experience the transformational power of Love on this journey of discovery.
Give us all the courage to open our hearts to each other and to You.
Shine a light into this darkness that causes it to vanish forevermore.
Thank You God!
Amen


On the journey,
Ric

Happy New Year, New You & New Me too!

Happy New Years Day! I am watching the final rays of a most glorious sunset as this first day of a New Year slowly gives way to the nighttime.


I have enjoyed this day spent reading Marianne Williamson's new book, A Course in Weight Loss, listening to a webcast on emerging consciousness, walking the neighborhood and quietly reflecting on the areas of my life that have been in motion lately. Front and center of which is my recent participation in The School for The Work of Byron Katie in Los Angeles this past October.


It feels like there is a huge connection between The Work and A Course in Weight Loss for me. When I was getting ready for The School for The Work, I set and held an intention of developing a new relationship with my body and of learning to release this barrier I had created that keeps people at a distance personally. As I read A Course in Weight Loss in order to prepare for our first session in the class I am leading at church, this seems to be next in this process of personal transformation that began in earnest at The School in October.


I don't know exactly where this is all leading, yet I feel big energy moving in and around me. I believe this process is the next step in several areas of my journey. I surrender myself to the process, trusting that Love is my guide and is leading the way.

How do you measure a year?

As we come to the end of 2010, it is hard not to remark about how quickly it has passed. Indeed, how quickly this decade has gone by. 


525,600 minutes - How do we measure the passing of a year? Cups of coffee, miles driven, thoughts thought, money earned? 


For me personally:  funeral services officiated, counseling appointments, meetings attended, weddings performed, sermons preached? How about measuring the increase in Love on the planet? Or in how many people I have loved? How many people have I allowed to love me?  How many people are enjoying a real, dynamic, life changing experience of God? 


I love this song because it brings up such a strong emotional response from the very depths of my soul.

Who is that man behind the curtain/mask/insulation?

Many speakers, preachers & teachers (including me) say, "I always teach what I most need to learn."  During last Sunday's sermon, when I shared the plans for the upcoming class I'm leading on Marianne Williamson's newest book A Course in Weight Loss, I knew that it would touch others though I underestimated just how many. I am encouraged and humbled by the number of people who want to travel this path with me.


As I prepare the class outline,  I notice how many of the questions in the book take me directly to the process of inquiry known as The Work of Byron Katie. I notice the many stories I have created or adopted (from other folk) about my body and my weight. Who am I without the stories?


My ego is screaming at me, "I can't believe you dumped it all out in public during a sermon. Why are you doing this to us? Don't you see that everyone knows now. They are all laughing at us now. Who do you think you are? You are not smart/serious/grown up/ enough to pull this off. How will you explain it away when you fail miserably? How are you going to lead a group of people into a place you have only visited, and never for very long?" My ego is trying to drag me into The Hole:

So I say to my ego, Peace - Be still. Now is the time. I am not relying solely on myself for I have surrendered this deep stuck place to the Holy Spirit, a power greater that I am which does for me what I have not been able to accomplish. I am not afraid of my own darkness for it is merely the absence of light and not real. 


I am not alone and neither are you! Make this an awesome day in some way.


Only Love,


Ric