Table stakes: Prayer does not change God. Prayer changes me. This is profoundly important, and so often forgotten. Lots of people pray the “please God look the other way just this once” prayer, the “if you just let me get away with this, I swear I’ll never do that awful thing again” prayer. Those prayers have not, will not, and cannot work.

As I was traveling in Washington, D.C. last week I had an accident that resulted in a fractured ankle. We were there to celebrate a special occasion, with several restaurant reservations, tours booked, and outings planned. It was supposed to be a lovely Spring trip to enjoy some cherry blossoms, eat great food, and see monuments and museums.

“Sometimes, I need only to stand, wherever I am to be blessed.” This was one of the first songs that Karen Drucker sang on Friday evening to open the Women’s Retreat in Orlando. It is a fairly new song that I hadn’t heard before from her album, “My Heart Is With You”. The words immediately touched my soul and set a tone of openness for the retreat. I almost felt complete, as if had already gotten what I needed from the retreat.

It may be hard to accept the fact that you are enough, but if it is, I invite you to reconsider what “you” are you measuring? Sure, our “human self” is still learning the best way to go through the circumstances and relationships and lessons our souls chose in this lifetime, and maybe you are just discovering the power of your “spiritual self”, or your inner self. If you do find your human self to be lacking, the good news is that you have something within you that is more than enough – always.

This past weekend I had family in town, and we went to a spring training baseball game. The weather was spectacular, and the Red Sox played well, so overall, it was a fun outing. As all good ministers do, I spent the time considering the possible metaphysical messages I could find in baseball.

I attended various spiritual communities and centers before I realized that I had gotten it wrong. Each place taught a different way to bring god into my life. In other words, what most people call prayer.

Isn’t it disheartening when you go out to dinner and you confidently order your meal, then look over at your companion’s choice and wish you could go back and start with a different order? Their dinner just looks way more delicious than yours! So, if you’re like me, you resign yourself and go ahead to eat your dinner, while secretly, or even overtly, coveting theirs! It happens.

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.