"...in favour of Godly thoughts..."

What does it mean “to be saved ;” “to give ourself to God ;” “to surrender to God ?”  These and other such praiseworthy terms are made real, not by whim, but when we succumb—mind, body and soul—to that higher power from within; our divine spirituality.

Each of us experiences this spiritual transformation in his or her own way.  The one factor common to all, however, is this: We must cease the turmoil of the mind in favour of Godly thoughts.  Giving ourself over to God in this manner fills us with the freedom and the joy of Walking in His Way.  Blind pursuit of worldly ways is revealed as aught but an empty promise.

Garry D. Kilbourn

bwfaithministry

“… in favour of Godly thoughts.”

Thursday evenings I look forward to meeting up with Alice.  Just shy of eighty years and living in a nursing home, Alice struggles with debilitating thoughts.  She is in the process of updating her will, estranged from her siblings and her children.  Alice’s emotions range from fear to anger and all that could have been but is not. 

This is a story with a silver lining.  Alice enjoys a friendship with Brenda, who is also a Christian Science Practitioner.  For days after a visit with Brenda, Alice feels loved and calm.  Brenda prays with Alice and gives her *Godly thoughts to fill her mind.  

* ”Stand porter at the door of thought…control yourself harmoniously…shut out these unhealthy thoughts and fears.”  Pg 392 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy

"... compassionate humility"

Those who forever question life’s purpose tend to reach a time when the struggle to understand so exhausts the mind that the subconscious—our higher, spiritual, self—takes over.  This divinely self-protective measure at once frees us of crippling egoism and blesses us instead with compassionate humility.  Our soul is laid bare: we are again one with God, alive in the fullness of His love.

Instinctively we know this new-found sense of spiritual empowerment is not in itself enough.  With no thought of resting on our laurels, we discover the joy of giving freely of ourself to others, all the while manifesting God’s goodness and His love.  In the doing we are even further blessed in that we awaken to the fact that we have become part of a community of like-minded souls.

Garry D. Kilbourn

bwfaithministry

“… compassionate humility”

In my heart of hearts, I know I’ve not always given freely of myself. 

Unaware of my ego in full flight, I thought I was the ‘perfect’ volunteer, friend, sister. 

In today’s *meditation class these words stirred my soul… “God melts me and turns me into gold”.  I am forever grateful.  blw

*Brahma Kumaris | Calgary Centre

Suite 100, 206 10A Street NW Calgary, AB, T2N 1W6
403-209-2988  |  calgary@ca.bkwsu.org

www.bkcalgary.org  |  www.bkwsu.org

LENT...

"Giving up 'things' does not work well for me.  I prefer to give up things like not having the last word, or not raising my voice in an argument, or not complaining about what I have to do etc... There is so much out there that I'll never exhaust it all!  Lent needs to give us a sense of joy in cooperating with God's plan for our lives."

Sylvia

Thank you,

Sylvia!

bwfaithministry

...ye have done it unto me...

These few words of God, “…inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me,” warm the heart and uplift the soul.  When placed in context they are words fitting all aspects of our life.

We are all God’s children, loved equally by Him.  God is ever-present in our life, and yes, He speaks to us when showing us His way.  Not always do we hear, but when we do we are transformed—not least the humble.

If we are to reclaim our God-given goodness, whereby we learn to love ourself and others, it but stands to reason that we listen to and follow God’s directives.

Garry D. Kilbourn

bwfaithministry

“…inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me,”…

While enjoying friendship over mugs of tea, this ‘spring’ afternoon in Calgary, my friend shared that later today she’d be visiting a dear friend who is now in a nursing home.  These visits are sometimes worrisome for both.  The friend’s memory, mood and behaviour show signs of a life becoming affected by Alzheimer’s Disease.  The unknown brings fear.  We thought of ways to make their conversation flow with ease when we realized the answer was ever the same…  just be the friend you’ve always been.  blw

As above, so below...

There comes to us a simple aphorism from out of the night of time which has the potential to forever change our life in a most wonderful way:  “As above, so below.”

That which is “above” (no less within and everywhere around us) is the mystical rhythm of the universe embodying all the forces of nature and of God.  Notwithstanding human conduct in general we are, each one of us, indisputably at one with God and nature.  Failing to acknowledge this redounds to our own lasting misfortune.

Man’s mortal mind is that which is “below”  in the sense that we long ago came to disown the purity of the divine soul as we hastened our downward spiral into the dissentious world of materialism.  How we may rectify that which we have torn asunder, to reclaim our senses and indeed our very humanity, becomes the question.

Mindful concentration of God’s love for all mankind, over time, will transport our earthly thoughts to a higher astral plane; one that unites our inner spiritual self with the transcendent forces of God and nature:  “As above, so below.”

Garry D. Kilbourn

bwfaithministry

We Can Change...

None of us, it must be said, is held captive to our present state in life.  We are, each of us, divinely spiritual souls possessed with intelligence and will.  Thus are we able to control the ceaseless workings of the mind, the source of all that bedevils us and all that sets us free.

                                                     

We can change, no matter our state of mind, no matter our personal circumstance.  True change, that which endures and uplifts the soul, is none other than a spiritual awakening, a process of freeing the mind of worldly thoughts to become one with God.

Garry D. Kilbourn

bwfaithministry

“We can change…”  

 … a story of awakening as told to us:  She is not yet twenty years old…

“Yesterday night at 12:00 I was packing my school bag and getting ready to go to bed, when all of a sudden my facebook page lead me to the contacts that I have blocked on facebook.

I sat there for a few minutes thinking why is it that I blocked theses people from facebook? Therefore I unblocked everyone and then all of a sudden I got this new kind of energy and I decided to write to all the people from my past that were "not my friends anymore", so I sat there and wrote all these emails to these people with a different tone.  Before all I could tell them  was how upset I am for their actions and how I’m so sad.  However, yesterday night I wrote to all these people saying SORRY... I never did give them a second chance in life and just "judged" them so I went ahead and said sorry to each and every individual, letting them know that I could not sleep without telling them how I feel!

I feel soooo free today, I have not felt this free in a long time!  It was like I was trying to move on and forgive myself and them, however I was not able to! But this way I forgave not only them but myself and I am soooo Proud of myself :)

Really I feel like I did a great thing for myself.  In order for me to move on and do great things in life I needed to do this.  I have cleared all the negative moments in my life and kept good memories that will allow me to move forward in life :)  I have never felt more peaceful in life. “  (S.G. with love)

A Smile

A smile costs nothing, but gives much.

It enriches those who receive without making poorer those who give.

It takes but a moment, but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.

None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it, and none is so poor but that he can be made rich by it.

A smile creates happiness in the lonesome, fosters goodwill in business, and it is the countersign of friendship.

It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the outraged, sunshine to the sad, and it is nature’s best antidote for trouble.

Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen, for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.

Some people are too tired to give you a smile.

Give them one of yours, as non needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

Author Unknown