It was most important to me to accept the assignment and write something about Spirit-Quest and my experiences within the course. The course is a wonderful addition to my life. From Lesson 1, Goal Setting all the way through, Reverend Amy Long had my attention.
If anyone would have told me just a couple of years ago that I would be setting spiritual goals I would have laughed at them. Now I have pages regarding personal, spiritual growth. That is a miracle in itself. For all people Spirit Quest holds great tools and philosophy for moving toward the light. What is and has been very important for me is that these 30 lessons of Spirit Quest put me in touch with volumes upon volumes of information and non-information within me. With the lessons came the tools for me to start working through those volumes of whatever to see if it's worth bringing along in life.
"Spiritual growth comes when you remember that your word is your bond."
That phrase from Lesson One is on my wall. Being raised in the great State of Wyoming for the most part, people's word are their bond. Most people of the Cowboy State take great pride in matching their actions with their words. After moving East and becoming part of corporate America the phrase can still be found but the practice is limited.
"With your word, comes your intention. Your intention drives the force of your being. Your word is everything. . ."
These words of Reverend Amy are a huge part of the foundation of what I grew up thinking and it is my intention to pass these things along teaching and placing it out there in my actions for the world to see. There is a special sense of beingness when one "knows" his or her word becomes intention and intention is the driving force of one's life. Ah yes, "In the beginning was the Word. . ."
The tools in Spirit Quest are of inestimable value. Hypnotherapy (or what in my practice I called 'Alpha- Technique') has been an ardent study of mine since securing my degree and certification in 1984. Without question, Spirit Quest offers all people and therapists of any persuasion fine, new tools.
In pursuing hypnotherapy I had learned about a "sacred place." Along with that my studies took me through many different kinds of induction and self-induction. To date none of them have been on the level of the tools Rev. Long teaches in Spirit Quest.
Her 'Grounding Cord' is terrific if not essential. Nearly every person seeking religion and/or therapy is insecure and seeking some kind of a new hold on life. Well, nothing could be better than to teach them about the cord and the visualizations of using their grounding cord. And, the internal visual exercises regarding their cord are a great foundation for engaging right brain activity and using the power in alpha brainwave technique.
Personally, I now work with the Grounding Cord everyday – many times. Within given days there can be a good deal of anxiety and conflict in my life and with this new tool (after months of practice) I simply send negative energy to Earth's center to be recycled. It's wonderful. I must admit it does not remove 100% of my anxiety or frustrations on every day I need it, but life is far better with a Grounding Cord than without one.
Coming from the philosophy that the Universe = Energy = Us, the Protection Rose is another far reaching tool both for me and my client/parishioners. The above concept, Universe = Energy = Us can really fill in a lot of holes in people's lives especially when it is offered with the tools. The "Protection Rose" is an ability for people to participate in protecting themselves. For people to begin to visualize their Protection Rose and participate in their own security is a profound move toward personal growth.
We learned of "Creating and Destroying" in Spirit Quest. I am still a little hesitant to blow up beautiful roses with people in them. I do not know why – I'm just slow I guess. Except that I can place my own frustrations or anger into roses and blow the hell out if them. The Past – Present – Future exercises and "bringing something to the present" and then blowing up the rose is going better for me. I think that it is because this exercise is about time. However, as the old saying goes, "I'm not sure I understand all I know about this. This is a great exercise to teach but, I won't be showing anyone anything about creating-destroying for awhile until I become more familiar with it and feel far more comfortable with what is going on.
The Golden Sun and Running Energy are just plain exhilarating. Everyday I get involved and I get other people involved in clearing out old energy and filling up with golden suns. Though these things are but metaphor the idea that the individual can be involved in doing something with their own energy is fantastic for them. Their energy does move and they can feel it. People readily understand that the Grounding Cord or the Rose etc., are human machinations but they also understand that the energy is really there and they are using and directing it! I love it.
Everyday at least 4 or 5 times a day I find myself running my energy and bringing in golden suns. (It seems to be happening almost subconsciously.) And, each time I do there is a wonderful, euphoric feeling and sense of well being. In these sad economic times everyone needs to be able to "run their energy" and clean out the old and bring in the new. It is possible we may have a duty to teach people this exercise. People need to know the tools to help themselves can be found within their own Spirit Quest. I've told a lot of people about the course but I'm not certain that any of them e-mailed in and signed up for it.
Most of them were family members and you know how that goes – at least for me. "A prophet is never known in his own home town." My family believes that I live a little too far out there on the fringe. I always have. In 1984 I tried to open up a nutrition based hypnotherapy center in Wyoming and South Dakota. Wow! Talk about lonely!
Competition = Loneliness
Loneliness = Spiritual Death
Reverend Amy's discourse on competition was especially poignant and her dealing with our efforts at competing with amusement and comedy is genius. Personally I use this daily - particularly while driving.
I think that I'm maybe a type 'A' personality sometimes. Before, I couldn't stand anyone driving in front of me on the road. And, if anyone would pass me I'd go a little bit nuts. Many times I've scared my passengers nearly to death getting around all those imbecile drivers.
Well, the lesson on competition is hitting home and I am quite a bit more calm when I drive now, and I instantly know when I'm going out of it and the humor gets me back under control (and more respectful of my fellow human beings.)
On occasion, though, I have been guilty of placing those "imbeciles" in a rose and blowing them all to hell. I get a real satisfaction out of that. All my frustration goes away but I'm fairly certain it's an improper use of the tool and I'll quit sooner or later. I like sprinkling scenes with my can of Acme Amusement Powder.
Lessons 15 and 16, Affirmations and Speaking Positively have special meaning for me. I was one of those kids who, like Bill Cosby, thought his real name was "Dummy" until I was 12. The things I thought were achievement and ran home to tell were greeted with all the enthusiasm of a slug. Or, one parent or the other or some teacher would say, "Now, don't get a big head." What they were really saying to me was, "It's really nothing!" Or, "You are really nothing."
Until moving out of my father's house and enrolling in college I didn't think I was worth spit. Those old voices have an insidious way of creeping back in – especially in hard times. I found Reverend Amy's Lessons not only informative but comforting too, with new sayings and new tools to bring on better, brighter methods of dealing with negativity.
In Lesson # 24 we learned about "Kinesiology." We were taught that it is a way of communicating using the body as a gauge to determine truth. It was all about learning to ask the right questions. The concept was really interesting but so far I haven't been able to play with it much but I can see where it will come in handy. Right now I have no experience from which to make any intelligent comments about Kinesiology.
I am sure that I now know more about Universal 'Cosmic' Energy, Auras, and Chakras, and reincarnation than I understand. To this day, still with ardent, daily effort I have not been able to see the slightest bit of an aura around any living thing. I have practiced on every tree, the bushes, lizards, the dog – everything around here and I'm not seeing anything - yet. It is my intent to get this and get it right because I want to be one who views auras and uses them to heal.
I do not believe in Reincarnation, Baby Beings or Spirit Guides. However, I do not disbelieve in them either. I choose and want to believe in angels so I do fervently. Now, to me, Lesson #30 seems a little bit like a dumpster. Therein Reverend Amy dropped so many different concepts that it became a bit jumbled for me. In this one "lesson" there are baby beings, spirit guides, angels, the reading screen, truth vs lie, charkas, roses, male & female grounding, karma and agreements, and healing energy. I am certain that Reverend Amy could (and probably will) someday write a full discourse on each of these topics. Until then it is my considered opinion that Spirit Quest should end before lesson #30.
"When you first start this exercise, you will probably find that you spend a lot more time OUT of love than you are IN love."
The above is the #1 concept from Spirit Quest that pulled me in deeply. I'm still working on this one and I believe it is a lifetime assignment for anyone 'to know when you're operating out of love.' To laugh at ourselves when we find we are outside of love, I guess, is as good a response as any. Getting into Love and staying there is a most respectful goal. Teaching myself and other people to operate from out of the right questions while in love is a script for life.
Thank you Amy,
Rev. Thomas Voss
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As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change.
