The tapes of our mind and affirmations

View this email in your browser Dear Friends, This week's quote is from the spiritual awareness class CC 75, which was published in Volume 4 of The Living Light Dialogue. "We all know that divine will is acceptance, total acceptance. If you are ready to accept into your consciousness a better way of thinking than you already have, then you're on the first step to being the vehicle through which divine will may express itself without the limitation of past experiences. How does one know whether or not they're truly ready to accept the will of the Divine without limitation? All we have to do is to look at the present so-called problem that we have. And we all have some type of situation that we want settled, some type of problem in our life, this moment, that we are seeking a solution to. If the thought, the thought of the situation, the thought of the so-called problem, continues to entertain your conscious mind, then you may be rest assured you are still controlled by patterns and experiences of the past. If you are ready to make the change, then you will move to another level of consciousness and you will do what we have all been taught here: you will release it to the Divine. Now, how does man release something to his own divinity, to the only level of consciousness that is able to see clearly, not just in this moment of the now, but is able to see what will be in the best interests for him, for that is his divinity? It knows what's right for us as individualized souls. We know when we have released it to the Divine within us when we no longer give it thought. Now, each and every moment when we're consciously awake and when we are asleep, the so-called computer of our mind is playing what we call, in this understanding, tapes. It's playing experiences of the past. It is doing it whether or not you are consciously aware, for that is the very nature of mind stuff. There are moments when we have an awareness of a thought that continues to repeat itself in our mind, and we find that condition most disturbing. But, my good students, that process of thought—and thoughts—is taking place in our mind day and night. So, my good students, does it not behoove us to permeate our consciousness with potent and positive affirmations, to introduce into our tape recorder of the mind tapes that will reap us a beneficial harvest? It's like a student striving to learn one of the many affirmations that are given here, a most important affirmation, which simply states, "God is the source of my supply." The students work on that. Perhaps they say it a few times. Maybe they say it fifty or a hundred times. But what happens? As that affirmation strives to record itself in the gray matter of our mind, a multitude of contradictory experiences of this life flood into our consciousness. What does that reveal to us? It reveals that we are in self-will, not divine will; that we are still controlled by yesterday. How can we truly progress when we permit ourselves to be constantly controlled by yesterday's experiences?"   We will usually experience a reaction from the established thoughts of our mind whenever we say an affirmation or make any effort on our spiritual exercises. Our established thoughts will work to undermine our spiritual efforts because our spiritual efforts represent a threat to them. Any change, even greater greater harmony and peace, represents a threat to those patterns. It is often not easy to release a thought to the divine within us, but it is possible. Say an affirmation of your choosing. Say it with conviction. And then listen to what your mind has to say. And remember, as you listen to the protests, we are not our thought. We are that which moves our thought. If you have any topics you would like addressed in these weekly emails, please feel free to email your request. To ensure that you consistently receive Serenity's weekly emails, be sure to add Serenity's email address to your contacts and your white list. This will help ensure that the emails are not treated as spam. Additional information on these teachings is available on Serenity's website: http://www.livinglight.org Sincerely yours, Russell Fitzgerald Vice President Copyright © 2020 Serenity Association, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Serenity Association PO Box 4187 San Rafael, CA 94913-4187 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Where to go to work

View this email in your browser Dear Friends, This week's quote is from the spiritual awareness class dated November 15, 1974, which will be published in Volume 18 of The Living Light Dialogue. This quote begins with a question from a student and has a follow-up question from the same student. The student's words are italicized. "OK. You were talking about not becoming involved in a situation or, like, if there's a person that you didn't agree with their actions . . . that if you did become concerned, that you'd become a victim of it, of this . . ." "That, yes, that is absolutely true. Number one: we cannot have an experience in life that we have not first in our own consciousness become receptive to. Now a person may say, "Well, I have someone that calls me every day and they're always in a low level of consciousness." Well, my dear friends, if we were not in a low level of consciousness, we couldn't attract that person to call us every day in a low level of consciousness. Because one of the basic teachings of Spiritualism is that like attracts like and becomes the Law of Attachment. Now, you may say, 'All right. I'm having these experiences in life, and I choose not to have them anymore.' The place to go to work is not outside, for that is not where the cause is. For Life herself is a mirror reflecting where we are at any given moment. The place to go to the cause is inside our self, to find out what level we are on and, once finding that out, to raise our soul consciousness to another level. If we do not do that, then we continue on with experiences that are distasteful to us because we have lost control through a lack of awareness. Does that help with your question?" "Well, what if that lady calls again? What do you say? 'I'm sorry, I don't want to listen to you.' Or, you know, what do you do?" "Well, no, my dear friend. My dear friend, you have what all souls have: the divine right of choice. You may listen and yet hear not. In fact, even the Bible prophets said, "You have ears to hear and hear not. You have eyes to see and see not." So, you see, if you go to work on you, that person will not call you in that level of consciousness again. Do you understand? Now give it, if you wish, give it a try. Because, you see, it works. Like attracts like and becomes the Law of Attachment. So if we are not happy with the experiences that we are having, if we are not happy where we are in life, all we have to do—it is so simple. You see, truth is simple and unconcealed; 'tis falsehood that is complex and deeply hidden—all we have to do is stop and think: "I do not care for this experience. Therefore, I will change my attitude of mind concerning it. I will rise to another level of consciousness." And then you will no longer experience that experience."   If we are patient and consistent with our efforts, as we change our attitudes, so, too, will our experiences evolve. It is not a matter of time, but it is a matter of energy. A mighty oak is not grown overnight, but an acorn does grow. And that is reason to be encouraged. And to those who celebrate the upcoming holiday, may your Thanksgiving be filled with gratitude. There is so much to be grateful for. If you have any topics you would like addressed in these weekly emails, please feel free to email your request. To ensure that you consistently receive Serenity's weekly emails, be sure to add Serenity's email address to your contacts and your white list. This will help ensure that the emails are not treated as spam. Additional information on these teachings is available on Serenity's website: http://www.livinglight.org Sincerely yours, Russell Fitzgerald Vice President Copyright © 2020 Serenity Association, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Serenity Association PO Box 4187 San Rafael, CA 94913-4187 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Insight into the tapes of our mind

View this email in your browser Dear Friends, This week's quote is from spiritual awareness class CC 75, which was published in Volume 4 of The Living Light Dialogue. "Now, each and every moment when we're consciously awake and when we are asleep, the so-called computer of our mind is playing what we call, in this understanding, tapes. It's playing experiences of the past. It is doing it whether or not you are consciously aware, for that is the very nature of mind stuff. There are moments when we have an awareness of a thought that continues to repeat itself in our mind, and we find that condition most disturbing. But, my good students, that process of thought—and thoughts—is taking place in our mind day and night. So, my good students, does it not behoove us to permeate our consciousness with potent and positive affirmations, to introduce into our tape recorder of the mind tapes that will reap us a beneficial harvest? It's like a student striving to learn one of the many affirmations that are given here, a most important affirmation, which simply states, "God is the source of my supply." The students work on that. Perhaps they say it a few times. Maybe they say it fifty or a hundred times. But what happens? As that affirmation strives to record itself in the gray matter of our mind, a multitude of contradictory experiences of this life flood into our consciousness. What does that reveal to us? It reveals that we are in self-will, not divine will; that we are still controlled by yesterday. How can we truly progress when we permit ourselves to be constantly controlled by yesterday's experiences?"   It seems that we are frequently controlled by the subconscious patterns of behavior (or tapes) that we learned as young children. We see those patterns express more clearly in others because we have a greater degree of objectivity with others than we do with our own patterns, for all too often we believe that pattern is us. We often see more clearly those patterns of behavior when people are upset. Perhaps they shout, perhaps they pout, perhaps they stamp their foot. These are all patterns of behavior that we learned as children in an attempt to gain what we desired at that moment. Perhaps they served us well in our childhood, perhaps not, but they clearly no longer serve us well as adults. No one consciously chooses to become upset or angry. Yet, when one of our judgments (that we are over-identified with and believe for a time that we are) is threatened with change or obstructed, we often express the various children of our temper, which rarely, if ever, brings goodness into our lives. As we make the effort with our spiritual exercises and affirmations, we do become more aware of the tapes that so often control, through our lack of awareness, our lives. And in our increasing awareness of those patterns of thought and behavior the seeds of our freedom are planted. If you have any topics you would like addressed in these weekly emails, please feel free to email your request. To ensure that you consistently receive Serenity's weekly emails, be sure to add Serenity's email address to your contacts and your white list. This will help ensure that the emails are not treated as spam. Additional information on these teachings is available on Serenity's website: http://www.livinglight.org Sincerely yours, Russell Fitzgerald Vice President Copyright © 2020 Serenity Association, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Serenity Association PO Box 4187 San Rafael, CA 94913-4187 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Look for the good

View this email in your browser Dear Friends, This week's quote is from spiritual awareness class CC 75, which was published in Volume 4 of The Living Light Dialogue. It begins with a question from a student, whose words are italicized. "Adding to your discussion, you see many wonderful spiritual teachers and, through this law of attraction, what makes them attract students who are not intelligent or who are not able to cope or who are even disloyal?" "Most understanding—and thank you so very much for your question. Yes. The lady has asked, stated, that she's seen or you see many spiritual teachers in the world and what is it that attracts to those teachers students locked into self-will, into ego, and not willing to learn or etc. Well, my friends, be patient, but look clearly. In order that we may go ever onward and forward into the light, into greater light, it is necessary to unfold the various soul faculties, the beginning of which is duty, gratitude, and tolerance, moving on to faith, poise, and humility. And so it is, in truth, a teacher's blessing to have the golden opportunity of looking at their students, no matter who the teacher is, and saying, 'Well, I have a decision to make. I can either expand my soul faculty of tolerance and duty and understanding and gratitude or I can lower my soul consciousness to the level that I am viewing.' So it is that any spiritual teacher must ever strive constantly to keep their eyes single upon the true purpose of Life herself. And what is the true purpose but service? If a teacher does not look at the eternal soul, then the teacher will not long teach spiritual teachings. So, my friends, there is indeed good in all things. And when you get discouraged and when you get disappointed, look at the good in the situation in which you are involved and that will help to free you to a higher level of consciousness. Does that help with your question? I certainly hope that it does. And remember, teachers, no matter who they are, are a part of the human race. And they exist in a body and in a mind governed by the laws of creation, which dictates duality, the lower light, and the lesser light. And so remember, our adversities become our attachments: it is a subtle law. And that that you have difficulty with in tolerance—when it is difficult for you to tolerate something, look at it from a different view and thank the Divine: it's driving you ever onward, ever upward. Because, you see, then something greater than the present situation has value to you. If you are striving to serve God, the Divine, then no matter what comes and no matter what goes in life's experience, it will have no import upon you. It will not be important, when you're working for God, whether you please man or you don't please man. You will not have any concern whether they like you or they dislike you. Principle, my friend, is not personality. Principle is that which will keep you in the Light. Personality is that which will take you into the forces of darkness. One is the lower self, personality; the other is the higher self, called principle. And he who relies on God shall become the God upon which he relies. I hope that's helped with your question."   I find this teaching very interesting for a variety of reasons. First, it offers insight into the lives of spiritual teachers and it is always helpful to learn how to respond with greater consideration and understanding to the varied experiences of life. And I also find this interesting because so very often my first response to whatever it is that I judge I cannot tolerate (be it a person, place, or thing) is to declare it a disaster. In that capacity, I am a really good example of what not to do. The experiences that we appreciate and the ones that we do not appreciate ultimately serve the same end: to help us awaken to something greater. If you have any topics you would like addressed in these weekly emails, please feel free to email your request. To ensure that you consistently receive Serenity's weekly emails, be sure to add Serenity's email address to your contacts and your white list. This will help ensure that the emails are not treated as spam. Additional information on these teachings is available on Serenity's website: http://www.livinglight.org Sincerely yours, Russell Fitzgerald Vice President Copyright © 2020 Serenity Association, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Serenity Association PO Box 4187 San Rafael, CA 94913-4187 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.