2024 is a leap year and this newsletter will be published on that special day - February 29th. When I was a child, I had a good friend whose birthday was this date. As life would have it, she had to share her birthday with either this classmate born on February 28th or another born on March 1st. I always thought she was a bit cheated in this way. It also intrigued me that she would only have a “real” birthday every 4 years. This is the 15th time she will get to celebrate on her actual birthday. You could say that she has a complicated relationship with this date!

Spiritual growth is more than words. We know that, of course, but it bears repetition. I want to take a minute on this because a lot of people spend a lot of time making sure they’re using the right lingo. They’re careful to set aside old words like salvation, heaven, and evil, and pick up new ones like attunement, oneness, and vibration. Sometimes the gyrations folks go through just to keep up with the latest linguistic fashion is spectacular. Somebody might not go to an old fashioned, outmoded “church,” but they go to a spiritual attunement campus for an hour every Sunday. What’s the difference?

Screens. So many of them. Different sizes and shapes. All there to mediate, separate and ultimately connect me to the world beyond my room that is hidden from my sight.

Last Sunday, I shared a passage in my lesson that seemed to resonate with everyone present. It included a phrase that said something like - “Anything you are not changing, you are choosing.” That got my attention the first time I heard it, and it continues to be thought-provoking.

Do you want something new in your life? The spiritual Law of Sacrifice explains the truth that we must surrender things to have that something new. Perhaps you have learned this law for yourself.

Last week I moved to a new city, a new neighborhood, a new home. As we were unloading things, going in and out of the garage and house, several folks introduced themselves and welcomed us to the neighborhood. Most had dogs with them, so we also met several new friends for our little Maisy to greet on our daily walks. All the kids must have been in school.

We pray for a lot of things. We pray for healing, love, prosperity. We pray for freedom from and freedom to. Most of all, though, I think we pray for change. Whatever the challenge, the problem, the dream, the aspiration, it’s already handled in Spirit. We just have to get out of the way.

In our teaching, the Science of Mind, we constantly talk about the power of words. Just last Sunday, I used the famous Don Miguel Ruiz phrase – “Be Impeccable with your word” – reminding everyone that we should be very mindful and use care when speaking.

Welcome to January! This month is named after the Roman god Janus, who was the god of transitions, gates, beginning and endings, doorways, and duality. Often portrayed with two heads, one pointing forward and the other backward, I think it is apt that January be named after him.

This week between Christmas and New Years Day is always an interesting “in-between” time for me. I am not quite finished with the old year, and the new one hasn’t yet begun. Typically, I clean house and put away holiday decorations, and I also intentionally take some time to journal about the year that was. In addition, I look for some fresh perspectives to guide me across the threshold into the new.

"Considering the perilous nature of the present moment, we reckon a merry Christmas is nowhere in sight. All the more reason to have a truly deep one instead. And, that all starts by making ourselves into a manger. Christmas is that point in time when the Light of Heaven contradicts the chaos of Earth. Therefore, let us ferociously contradict the Earth as never before by not merely celebrating Christmas but by becoming it instead. The nativity of Christ is the story of God wanting to get inside humanity. Jesus was the prototype for that experiment. Let us avail ourselves accordingly and be the embodiment of God every single day of our worldly lives. Let us, from this moment forward, and without the slightest hesitation, be Christmas." - Evan Hodkins, The School of Alchemy

Recently I returned to the workforce after a long pause. I found myself in a new work environment, on a completely different sleep schedule. Oh, and I had completely forgotten about traffic. Seriously, what is up with these commuters? Between the change of pace and getting used to a new normal, I have been feeling my feelings.

The headlines of late would have us believe that we should be very afraid of artificial intelligence. It will take over our jobs and our minds. It will make authors, artists, singers and song-writers obsolete. It will be weaponized to centralize power and resources. The doomsday list goes on and on.

"Humans have bodies. During the last century technology has been distancing us from our bodies. We have been losing our ability to pay attention to what we smell and taste. Instead, we are absorbed in our smartphones and computers. In the past, humans could not afford such carelessness. Ancient foragers were always alert and attentive. Wandering in the forest in search of mushrooms, they watched the ground for any telltale bulge. They listened to the slightest movement in the grass to learn whether a snake might be lurking there. Members of today's societies don't need such keen awareness. We can wander the supermarket aisles while texting messages. Whatever we choose we might end up eating it in haste in front of a screen, checking emails or watching television, while hardly paying attention to the actual taste." - Yuval Noah Harari, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

On Sunday our community will hold our annual Gratitude Dinner, continuing a personal tradition I have kept in my life for nearly 20 years. It started in November of 2006 as a Thanksgiving dinner for a few friends who came together as chosen family at my house in Atlanta. Over the years it shifted to the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and the tradition grew over time. When I moved to Florida, I eventually stopped the dinner in my home and poured my heart into this appreciative meal at CSLTB.

"When the inner walls to your soul are graffitied with advertisements, commercials, and the opinions of everyone who has ever known and labeled you, turning inwards requires nothing less than a major clean-up." - Dawna Markova, I Will Not Die an Unlived Life

“Guy walks into a doctor’s office for a checkup. He says ‘Doc, my arm hurts when I do this.’ The doctor says ‘then don’t do that anymore.’”- Henny Youngman

One of the things we teach at The Center for Spiritual Living is the old refrain, “Change your thinking, change your life.” I know you’ve heard this many times. I have personally spent a long time trying to observe what my thinking is telling me, and it has been a journey. For me, it hasn’t been that easy to change.

I am in the middle of some big changes unfolding on my life path. Where I currently stand, my perspective does not allow me to see what is beyond the curve of the next few months. I have moments of uncertainty, followed by moments of great resolve and courage. My human personality grabs control of the steering wheel and I want a map to read, then I surrender to the wisdom of my soul and the depth of my faith that all will be revealed in divine timing. With my soul in charge, I can simply move forward.

Many years ago, I proclaimed myself a “lifelong learner” because I was determined to continue to grow and expand throughout my whole life. Since I have turned the corner of age 59 and am headed to the big 6-0, I am more steadfast in my decision than ever.