Tag Archives: Expression of the Spirit

The Quintessence of Life

Radiations of Divine Love Copyright 2014 by Blair Atherton

Radiations of Divine Love
Copyright 2014 by Blair Atherton

What is the quintessence of life—that magical elixir from which all life arose and which fills it with jubilation? What is the highest, most noble element that is pervasive throughout the heavenly realms?

I believe that love is the fundamental component of all planes of existence. Love is an uncreated spiritual quality that is a healing, nurturing, fulfilling, and guiding force. It is the primordial element from which we arose and to which we shall return.

Divine love comes from without (from God and the holy spirits that serve Him) and it comes from within (from the divinity of our spirit-selves). It is all encompassing and encompassed by all.

Love is the greatest of all commandments. The purpose of our journeys through the millennia is, in large part, to come to understand that we are capable of unconditional love for all things, and once realized, to radiate that love through expression of our spirit-selves.

After many lifetimes our spirit will emerge to full expression and our love for all things truly will have no bounds or conditions. When that happens, our earth journeys may well end returning our spirit to its most basic existence—one that simply radiates divine love forever and ever.

Love transcends matter, space, and time. It is foremost among the spiritual mysteries, and a treasured gift from God that is meant to be shared with all.

From a recent posting, “On the Nature of God”

[…and God said,] “I am Love which is testimony to my existence!”

You might like to see the following related articles:

On the Nature of God
Can Love Save the World?
I Am Spirit

Harmony and Health

Credit: WallpaperUp.com

Credit: WallpaperUp.com

I have said many times in my various writings that I believe that our true life is spiritual, not physical. Our spirit gives the body life, but when the body withers away, the spirit remains—eternal.

The spirit-self will never die, and there is nothing in this world that can cause it permanent injury. Only we can cause “injuries” to our spirit by our negative, selfish, and destructive mental attitudes, bad behavior, and neglect of those who need our help.

These are failures of character that prevent harmony between spirit, mind, and body. This can cause an imbalance that makes us susceptible to disease. The disharmony is the cause and illness is the resulting effect. Perhaps it is the widespread focus on materialism, rather than spirituality, that contributes to the rise in poor health and disease worldwide.

God will always provide what is necessary for us to fulfill our life plan. With faith in this edict, what need have we for anxiety, worry, stress, or fear? Those who have achieved harmony between spirit, mind, and body are free of these negative states of mind that can contribute to poor health. They are happy and healthy individuals who have chosen a life of spirit over one of materialism.

As Silver Birch has often said, “If the spirit is aright, then the body will be aright.” There likely would be no illness if our spirit, mind, and body were in perfect harmony.

How does one achieve this hard to reach harmony? The anchor, the rock upon which this harmony is built is expression of the spirit. If we are not aware of (or acknowledge) our spirit and its purpose in our physical life, then harmony will remain elusive, and we will have missed the opportunity to have a truly vibrant, healthy, and (spiritually) rewarding life.

Expression of the spirit is one of the main themes of articles published on this web site. Selflessness and a strong desire to help others are the hallmarks of spiritual expression. If we strive to consistently live a life of goodness, virtue, love and compassion, our spirit will begin to express its innate divinity and we will not only achieve harmony between spirit, mind, and body, but also among our fellow human beings.

You may like the following related articles:

Harmony between Spirit, Mind, and Body
The Spiritual Mind

Can Love Save the World?

World of Love. Artist Tales Eloy from dreaming-star.deviantart.com

World of Love. Artist Tales Eloy from dreaming-star.deviantart.com

It seems everyone is obsessed with looking for love these days, whether it be a physical hookup or the search for a soul mate. Either way the focus is on one’s self. Most of us have this backwards. We should be giving love to those all around us. This will, in turn, attract love to us.

Restricting our love to spouse, family, and friends is not sufficient for spiritual progression and does not fulfill our divine capacity and responsibility to love broadly. Radiating our divine love to all we encounter is the ultimate expression of our spirit and spirituality.

We have all heard the cliché “only love can save the world.” This is one of those truths that sadly will remain a cliché until we begin to take it seriously and apply it globally in our everyday lives. If you want to change the world your love has to flow out away from yourself to everyone around you including total strangers.

I acknowledge that this is not always easy, especially when someone is being unmanageable. But we need to try to not react, and simply radiate love and kindness. Sometimes this will disarm the one acting up; sometimes it will not. Nevertheless, we need to make the effort, because the intent behind actions is what they will be measured against in the spiritual realms. If your genuine intent was to give love freely and it was rejected, you still benefit spiritually from your efforts. You will acquire spiritual capital that will help you going forward.

You may wonder how can loving globally change the world? It can do so over time by setting an example that inspires others to follow. When they see the effect your loving ways have on them and others, they will want to give the same happiness to people they encounter and feel the joy and fulfillment that they see in you.

Feeling love and compassion for others, although noble, serves no one if it is not expressed through action. When we become aware of people or animals who need help in our neighborhood, on TV, or otherwise, we need to do something. Make a phone call, knock on a door, lend a helping hand, say a prayer, donate money or time—something.

As we move through our day, we need to make an effort to see beyond ourselves, and our own selfish needs and desires. We need to be nice to people and show kindness to others, even if they are being a bit difficult.

All of us should take the time to give serious thought to what the world would be like if the majority focused on helping others, rather than pursuing their own fame, fortune, and love life. After thinking about this, you may conclude that love can indeed save the world. Let’s get to work!

You may enjoy the following related articles:

To What Doth My Heart Hearken Part 1

I Am Spirit

The Light Inside of You

Copyright 2013 by Blair Atherton

Copyright 2013 by Blair Atherton

 

On the occasion of the first year anniversary of this blog site I am republishing a verse I wrote a long time ago and that was one of the first entries in this blog. It likens our spirituality to rays of light that we too often shut away. And having hidden our spirit-self deep inside, it continually seeks release and expression.

The Light Inside You

For only a few fleeting moments
Have I felt the warm light of you—
Of what is inside of you.

Those moments were like rays of light
Peeking through the cracks of a door
In a dark room.

I am in the darkness alone,
Longing to know
What lies on the other side of the door.
Yearning to feel the touch
Of the warm and beautiful
Light that lies there.

But the door is locked,
The key to its opening
Unknown to me.

I will wait—
Yes, wait patiently
For the next beam of light
To spill through the cracks.
Longing to know
To understand
To embrace
The wonderful light
That shines inside of you.

Copyright 1969, 2012 by Blair Atherton

It is my belief that no matter who you are, what kind of a person you are, or what kind of life you live, there have been moments when your spirit was able to squeeze through the cracks in the walls you may have built around yourself. The fortresses we build to protect ourselves are always flawed and conquerable from within and without.

Our spirit-selves, that some of us try to hold captive in the darkness of our fears, doubt, and insecurities, yearn—no demand expression. It is like trying to hold your breath until you pass out; you cannot do it. Similarly, no matter how hard you try to cling to the material world and deny your spirituality, your spirit will always seek to show you a better way.

If you accept the notion that your spirit is what gives you life and your spirit-self is the real you, then you can see that your spirit must be allowed to express itself. Otherwise, are you really alive?

I believe that we are all spiritual beings. We, and those around us, look for evidence of this in us and in themselves. They are searching for the warm and beautiful light emanating from others and hope to find within themselves. Perhaps we do not realize that all we have to do is open the door, even if only a crack at first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many thanks to those of you who have consistently followed my blog over the past year.  This blog exists purely to serve its readers. I hope that those who are relative newcomers will continue to find value in what is written here, and if you have not already done so, explore articles in the archives.

My Companion and Me

From WallpaperUp.com

From WallpaperUp.com

“Are you feeling lost and downhearted,” he asked? “Come, take my hand and follow me. We have been strangers for too long. Do not be afraid.”

“Where are we going,” I asked?

“We are going where you have always yearned to go. Come I will show you the way. The path we will walk together can be difficult, but the destination well worth it.”

“This is too hard. I don’t think I can do it.“

“Of course you can! Focus on the light up ahead. It will give you strength. Don’t you see how it gets brighter the farther we go?”

“I didn’t realize how we were emerging from such a dark mist. As I look back down the path from where we came, I see that it fades into total darkness. I did not know how lost and confused I was back there.”

“We still have a long way to go, but I will be with you every step of the way. Just don’t let go of my hand or lose sight of the expanding light ahead.”

“As we continue to progress, I feel closer and closer to you.”

“I have always been a part of you waiting for you to take notice. Now that you have acknowledged me, we can continue the journey truly as one—fearless—with great strength and conviction.”

                                                                             *************
Jesus taught us that the Kingdom of God is within each of us, and it is realized through love, compassion, and forgiveness. Become one with your own divinity and show it to the world!

The Transformative Nature of Tragedy

From Wallpaper Up.com

From WallpaperUp.com

Traumatic events in our lives are usually the most transformative—whether it is nearly dying ourselves, the loss of a loved one, or some other calamity. It is sad that tragedy and heartbreak are often needed to initiate positive change in many of us.

These events may cause us to realize that we have been attracted to the neon lights of fame, fortune, and desire for far too long. We begin to see that the bright colors are artificial and without substance or spiritual quality. I believe that traumas can awaken us from a sleepwalk towards the spiritual desolation caused by a life driven by materialistic values rather than spiritual ones.

Tragedy often rekindles our compassion for others and expands our understanding of suffering. Traumatic events draw our spirit forth causing us to reach out to others, not so much to get support, as to give it. Not so much to grieve a loss, as to celebrate one life, and resolve to improve another (usually our own).

Our search for meaning in the loss of a loved one, more often than not, turns inward to seek how we can honor their memory, become better human beings, and truly live ourselves. These thoughts come, not so much from a fear of death, but rather to exalt life—to come to understand what is important in life, and in doing so, undergo a meaningful transformation for the better. The challenge is to integrate positive changes in us brought about by this transformation in a way that guides our lives continuously and irreversibly going forward.

The Meaning of Life and Other Age-Old Questions

There are a number of very basic questions concerning our existence that almost everyone asks at some point in their life. Things like why am I here? What is my purpose in life? What is the meaning of life? What is God’s plan? These are questions that mull over deep inside everyone of us even if they are never uttered, allowed to come to full consciousness, or faced with conviction to find the answers. Such questions are fundamental to the human condition.

Many seek answers, but fail to find them. Others do not know where to look. Still others do not recognize the answers when they find them because they seem too simple. There are also those who do not believe the answers when they find them because they do not trust the source.

The general life plan for all of us is a surprisingly simple one. It is governed by a set of very simple and basic laws. Like many readers, I sought answers in the scriptures of various religions. The answers are there, but often hard to clearly identify and organize into an easy to follow road map, because it is sometimes difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff.

There is a wonderful book that I would like to recommend to you that I believe may, at least for some of you, answer several of the questions above and a wide variety of questions relating to spirituality, the afterlife, and more. It is titled The Teachings of Silver Birch. Knowing the diversity of my readership, there will likely be a wide spectrum of views about the source of the teachings, as well as the their content.

The book is not based on religion, only on a belief in a higher being. Silver Birch speaks to us from the world of spirit and answers a wide variety of questions concerning spirituality in very simple and understandable terms.

Whether you believe in spirits and mediums or not, when you read this book, you likely will intuitively know that it speaks the truth. If you should be skeptical about the source of the knowledge that this book offers, I urge you to read the book anyway. It provides much food for thought.

You may come away amazed at how simple and clear God’s plan really is. Moreover, having read this book, if you go back to the scriptures, you will see many of the same teachings, but not so clearly stated.

If you find the book to be useful, then please share it and/or this article with others. After you have read the book, I would  very much like to hear your thoughts on its message, or how it impacted you.

The book can be purchased here. The description provided on the web site is lacking to say the least. Please rely on what I have told about the book to make your purchase decision.

I Am Spirit

The Hodge 301 Cluster in the Tarantula Nebula Credit: The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STSci/NASA)

The Hodge 301 Cluster in the Tarantula Nebula Credit: The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STSci/NASA)[/caption

I Am Spirit.
I have existed before time began
And I will exist after the end of time.

I am you and you are me.
I am a victim of doubt, skepticism, and ignorance.
I am present in bodies with minds that do not recognize me.

I give you life—yet, you do not truly live.
I am love—yet, you do not share me widely.

I am compassion—yet, you hide my light deep inside.
I am generous—yet, you do not give to those who are needy.

I give you knowledge, but you refuse to believe.
I show you the Path, but you turn away and choose another.
I provide good counsel, but you do not listen.

I Am Spirit.
I am you, and you are me.
One day you will awaken to me
And our glorious light will shine upon all the world!

Copyright 2014 by Blair Atherton

As with other spiritual verses I have published on this blog and elsewhere, I was compelled to sit in front of the computer and wait for the words to start flowing. The message here is clear: we must understand and believe that we exist as spirit, and not neglect or be afraid to express our divine qualities.

The Spiritual Mind

The Spiritual Mind Copyright by Blair Atherton 2014

The Spiritual Mind by Blair Atherton 2014

I believe that the mind has two aspects or qualities: spiritual and intellectual. We are all familiar with the intellectual mind. It is responsible for processes like reasoning, judgment, analysis, calculation, ego, desire, and other mundane faculties. I envision the spiritual mind engaging in activities such as creativity, intuition, and psychic abilities.

The two aspects of mind likely operate on different planes of consciousness. The intellectual mind (IM) focuses on the physical world, while the spiritual mind (SM) searches for meaning, and communion with God.

Worldly knowledge is acquired by the IM through study and investigation of measurable quantities. Spiritual knowledge can be obtained to some extent by study also. However, oftentimes, the most profound spiritual knowledge comes to us without active searching or any effort on our part except having an open mind and a desire to come closer to God.

Sometimes spiritual knowledge defies logic and ordinary understanding. It can come to us with an inexplicable certainty in its truth, while at the same time we do not how we know it or from where the knowledge came to us.

The two minds look at the world and existence quite differently. The IM primarily sees the here and now, while the SM senses there is much more to existence. Dominance by the IM may lead one to deny or overlook their spiritual nature. It may also lead one to question the existence of God or a Creator, as the IM favors (perhaps requires) measurement and proof over intuition and faith.

In contrast, the SM cares little about the material aspects of existence favoring instead expression of itself through inspiration, creativity, psychic connection, and emotions such as love and compassion.

How do the two aspects of mind reconcile with one another? The IM is essential in order for us to function in the material world. The SM brings meaning to the activities of the IM. The spiritual qualities of mentality moderate and guide the IM toward applications of its faculties that will be spiritually fulfilling and serve the greater good. I believe that a key element of our spiritual progression and evolution is for the SM to achieve dominance over the IM.

The Law of Service

The material world presents us with many challenges, not the least of which is maintaining awareness of our spiritual divinity and seeing opportunities for its expression. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of work and family.

Although these things and more can provide fertile ground for learning, many of us may not realize that God has certain expectations of us—laws to govern and guide life in the material world and when we return to the world of spirit. An extremely important one is the Law of Service. It is through actuation of this law in our lives that we express our spirit and evolve. I believe it to be a requirement for progression to higher spiritual planes.

How many people do you know who engage regularly in some form of service to others? In this day and age, it seems like many of us are too engrossed in our personal lives and the quest for fame, fortune, love, or whatever else to even think about helping others. As a consequence, we miss out on one of the most rewarding things in life—helping others through service.

The Law of Service is inherent in the commandment “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Jesus said this commandment of brotherly love is second only to “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” In fact, if you believe that each of us is a part of God, then to love others is to love God and vice versa. Consequently, it could be said that the two commandments are simply different expressions of the same spiritual law.

We have a spiritual kinship with all of humanity. Therefore, people locally and around the world are our neighbors. We are expected to love them all, and in so doing, to provide service and help to anyone who needs it. Unselfish service to others is the single most important thing we can do to change the world.