Celestine Prophecy

Insights into Awareness course; essay By: Rev. Frank L Ducharme     Although I have read the book Celestine Prophecy some time ago and found it very inspiring, this course detailed step by step each insight that brings a new level of understanding. I have found this to be very enlightening and reaffirming to my practices and beliefs. I can say I have truly enjoyed this course and looked forward to each and every lesson. This course was not only a learning experience but a lesson of growth and development.     To slow down and put the habitual repetition of every day life aside for a moment and pay attention to the subtle signs that are easily missed. The signs and guidance are there we just need to open ourselves to see and accept them. We need to trust ourselves and trust what we feel and act upon what our instincts tell us not how we are conditioned to react. We must retrain ourselves not to get caught up in life's daily routines but to experience life and the world around us to better see all it has to offer.      There are times we should think of our selves but we must also think of how we all affect each other, How our own actions affect the others around us and future happenings. One action or reaction can affect so many and how others may act or react in future situations. Every conversation no matter how mundane it may seem hold a message and has meaning, We need to pay attention to every thing that takes place in our daily lives because some ware sometime it may have a greater meaning or a lesson we need to learn. One may see a particular situation as a bad experience but we needed it to take place for one reason or another to learn from and break the cycle.     I was born into a Roman Catholic home as was my father and grandparents, my mother however was raised protestant and had what I would say different views. Upon entering school I went to a private Catholic school from first grade to eight having religious classes on almost a daily bases. Some ware between fifth and sixth grade I started to realize the contradictions I was being taught and started questioning what the priest and nuns were saying and teaching and believe me that was not what you were suppose to do. Throughout my teenage years to early adult life I searched for a belief system that I could wrap my head around, something that made sense and I could wrap my head around. At almost thirty I began a serious study of Wicca and the Pagan ways and things began to make sense. It is a belief and an ever evolving practice that encompasses what I have felt for so much of my life and is a way of growing that does not restrict or control.      Whether we realize it or not all of us thrive on energy, Energy from the center of the universe. We as humans have ways of sucking that energy from one another, one such way is threw conflict and control. Those who constantly try to control every one they come in contact with, who dominates every conversation are generally insecure in one way or another. Some ware in there lives they are not in control at all and so every ware they go the may feel the need to control every aspect and by doing so they will suck the energy from every one they come in contact with. Another method of control is seen threw conflict, some people feel or believe they can only gain power and control threw conflict and manage to drain the life power from others until there is nothing left. Once you realize that you don't have to control others to get the power you require, that by fowling the principles of the insights you get all the power you need naturally life become so much simpler and easier to navigate, you can be truly happy and at ease.      Once we realize that the energy we thrive on can be obtained from some ware other than the people around us, that the universe itself has all we need and its there for the taking we just need to learn how to accept it. We need to take care of our selves by diet and exercise, and slow down a bit to enjoy the sights sounds and savor the tastes that we encounter on a daily basis. Through meditation and relaxation we can relieve the daily stress and focus on the positive energy. For if we can put forth positive energy and keep a positive attitude then we can affect everyone we encounter in a positive way and keep the positive flow of energy flowing around us. We also need to pay attention to each and every interaction we have on a moment by moment basis to see and realize what each conversation means, what message is their for us. Every experience we have on a moment by moment basis happens for a reason, we need to pay attention and learn from our experiences in order to evolve into a higher being. If we can affect more and more people we encounter with positive energy and a positive attitude and teach them to do the same, imagine the ripple effect it can have on society and how the world could change.     We are all here on earth for a purpose, to experience everything that occurs throughout our lives for a reason. To encounter everyone we meet in our lifetime on purpose, there are no chance encounters or coincidences we actually chose our entire life's journey at the moment of birth. We choose our parents and family and friends to shape our life's experiences so we could learn and feel what we needed in order to evolve to the next level for the next time around. Each life we choose what we need to experience in order to learn from those encounters. Each and every time we choose what we need in order to proceed for the next time we are born. When we succeed in learning what we need we will then advance to the next level of existence.     At this point in our history, we are not yet at the point of soaring as the eagle, but rather we are still caught up in the good versus evil. Our world is in chaos. Our leaders are ineffectual, religion has lost its purpose and that a great transformation is nearing. The transformation is not the result of a mythical "second coming," but rather must stem from the higher thoughts of man; a man that reconnects mentally with the center of all that is in order to break our cycle of destruction and ignorance. The time is getting close and, as the Hopi have said, "it is we who we have been waiting for." Higher human consciousness is attempting to break, alter, or change the current cycle.  A cycle filled with ruinous dogma, fear, greed and confusion. Humanity is approaching a moment in time where he can consciously choose his next evolutionary step.   A great vibratory train is headed straight for us and that we must choose to either stay in its way or to get off of the track. If there is disaster, it will be because we stayed on the track. As with Nostradamus, the Book of Revelations and other prophecies, we are given the tools, in the form of a largely pictorial code, to raise our awareness, our vibration and our very nature above the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.' It is time to look deeply into the tools and images that been offered as a gift to our time and learn the true revelation of their inner meanings.    "The return of the Goddess and all of her wisdom."     Once we transform into multi-sensory beings we will then see the beauty in everything and everyone. We can then look past the inabilities and disabilities and see the true abilities and potential. To recognize our intuitions and senses and true abilities and trust out gut feelings to guide us. Prophecy, telepathy, and clairvoyance will be accepted and taught as the norm. We will then be whole again.        The methods and activities set forth in this course are not necessarily a new concept but very important for awareness and self growth, and so simple. It is so very easy to get caught up in life's challenges and the daily routine, one needs to take the time for yourself ; reflect and keep in touch with the energy around us. Everything we need to continue growing and evolving is their we just need to recognize and utilize it.   Blessed be to all Frank L Ducharme ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button. 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. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spirituality

Defining Spirituality Essay Rev. Francis J Douse, ULC Seminary Introduction This is my essay for the Defining Spirituality course with the ULC Seminary.  A matter of confusion on my part had occurred, which is not a good start on any course of study.  I was thinking the course dealt with actually defining what spirituality is, which would have been a monumental task in itself effort to devise let alone study.  Instead, I soon discovered it was quite different to my expectations and truthfully some prejudices on my part and yet it has proven enjoyable, informative and complemented studies and thoughts I've followed during my life. The course itself explored the basis of current Western thought and how it has developed over the centuries, this was presented in the context of ministering to scientific and/or rationalist minded people. Manifest Matter and Mysticism at the Heart of All Things Something I felt was implied if not asserted was that matter can be manifest or at least manipulated by will. But this is not expanded upon, or at least not to the point where a minister is attempting to breach the gap between themselves and someone who is scientifically minded, can discuss the matter in a meaningful way.  The hardened rationalist will be looking directly for logical evidence during such a discussion and I did not feel that 'rational' examples were given. I would have liked to have seen this explored in more depth. The course writer states that science proves mysticism to be at the heart of all things and whereas I can agree, again, I cannot see how a rationalist will accept that statement without irrefutable evidence. I've encountered some concepts posited to support this, firstly ShrodingerÕs cat - a quantum mechanics thought experiment. A cat (or other living organism) is placed in a sealed box with a poison. According to the Copenhagen Interpretation, the cat is both alive and dead until the box is opened, the act of observing the end result determines the outcome. Another is a phenomenon known as wave-particle duality, for example photons behave like a wave or a particle depending on how they are being observed. Whereas these seem almost mystical and would indicate that the mind does affect matter, the reality may be more complex. For example, with the cat experiment the Copenhagen Interpretation is just that - an interpretation and there are and probably will be more now and in the future. The Classics, The Cave and Philosophy I've always believed that a classical foundation is a good starting point for education and for understanding our roots in western culture. I enjoyed the material presented especially the cave allegory by Plato. It was similar to an example given to me when studying quantum theory at university. In this example, imagine a sheet of paper which represents a 2 dimensional world in which 2D stick people live. They can only perceive the X and Y axes, there is no Z axis for them - it is beyond their perception. Now imagine I take pencil (which can also be a Platonic perfect form) and pierce the paper on which they live, I pass the pencil through along it's length and remove it on the other side. What would the folk in 2D world see? A 3D pencil? No. They see a dot form where the pencil pierces, the dot grows into a circle, the circle persists for a time and vanishes. The idea that a 3 dimensional object had passed through their world would be ludicrous to them! It underlines the limits of our own perceptions and knowledge. Although we are concentrating on western philosophy, no man is an island.  There is a massive jump from the Greek philosophers to the Renaissance thinkers, I believe an acknowledgment must be given to Islamic scholars who gathered and built upon Greek knowledge and it's re-introduction to the west.  Also Constantinople should be given a nod, as the capital Eastern Roman Empire it persisted another 1,000 years after the collapse of the west, and traded heavily with the Islamic world especially in regard to the ancient texts. Such knowledge was highly prized and the Byzantine book markets still survive to this day. After it's fall in 1453, the great Byzantine thinkers came westwards bringing the knowledge with them. Similar events occurred in Spain too. I admit I am over-simplifying a complex issue but none the less, a paragraph about where the knowledge was and how it was used when Europe languished in the so-called Dark Ages would have been useful. One thing I am not too clear on. Renaissance thinkers worked (generally) within the rules of the Church (and failure to do so would be at their peril) and many have been men of great faith, yet rationalists build on that foundation to assert their own cold God-less world views.  I'm not sure how they reconcile or reconciled that. How many of these more recent philosophers will still stand the test of time in another 1,500 years or more?  I would be surprised if the likes of Plato and Aristotle aren't still read. Will Nietzche's syphilitic nihilism still hold any real value? How much philosophy is useful and how much is just plain old over-thinking?  These are issues I have been motivated by the course to question and to continue seeking meaningful answers to. Atheism - A Clear and Present Danger Atheism is a subject that was explored.  There are those who use the foundation of other philosophers and thinkers (many of whom had faith) and a conceited reliance on logic, reason and science to support their atheism. Just as I cannot prove the existence of the Divine using science, they cannot disprove it. I assert that atheism is simply a belief and not a Ônon-beliefÕ as some would say. It is a system of belief like any other, and a narrow myopic one at that.  For the atheist, life essentially has no meaning, no purpose. We are born, we live, we die and that is it. Anything else is just wishful thinking and fantasy, a coping mechanism to deal with our own mortality, it is placed into the same category as Father Christmas and the tooth fairy. I further assert that reason, rationalism and science cannot be used in any context of spirituality anymore than carpentry can help in mountaineering, they are separate fields of human endeavor. Also from all the experiences I have had with atheists - and I say this as a former atheist myself, that there are those who reject the Divine because they had a limited and naive view of it to begin with.  If one has been exposed to a literal view of God as a human dressed in white with a long gray beard sat on a throne behind pearly gates, then I could sympathise with their rejection, after all, such symbolism is a relic from Greco-Roman paganism.  To me, to rely on science to provide 'proof' that God does not exist is a lie and a conceit because science has no  bearing on faith whatsoever. I believe that extremist secularism and atheism as espoused by Richard Dawkins represents a real danger in society, just as real as religious extremism. Here in the UK as more and more are brought up without any spiritual dimension whatsoever, society is in a real and demonstrable moral free-fall.  Nobody thinks twice now when an 11 year old boy fathers a child with a 15 year old girl!  Even here in York, I've witnessed with horror a medieval church being transformed into a hedonistic nightclub! The moral vacuum has lead to over-inflation of the ego, loss of self-respect and ultimately damage to the soul. It is a sorry state of affairs and very few seem to even care. My own conclusions As I said in the introduction, I had a little confusion about the course when I began but it has proven to be a most insightful and enjoyable course.  I believe that there is no conflict between science and spirituality as they are separate endeavours. Science deals with what can be observed and measured while God is beyond all things, ineffable and transcendent, as mankind learns more about itÕs place in the cosmos God will always be beyond touch. For me, He is beyond mathematics and reason, He has revealed Himself to me and thus in my mind I have all the evidence I need.  Science is not a subject where one should place all of his or her stock, it's a systematic way of objectively viewing what we perceive, it provides no meaning and no idea of what happens after death. Science has limits, we will never know what happened before the Big Bang, we don't even know how the universe will end, only that there is an almost biblical cosmic struggle between dark matter holding the universe together, while dark energy seeks to pull it apart. We think the universe is one of many and we know the universe is some 14 billion years old, we know many things and their mechanisms. We know the odds of producing a world full of complex creatures are against us, let alone the mass extinctions that life has fought through. The odds against us being here are literally astronomical and yet here we are.  Is it by an intelligent design or simply pot luck?  As stated in the discourses, we can only say we know nothing. As sad as it is, there will be people we cannot minister to. I have encountered people who simply cannot believe in a concept of a soul and anything of a Divine nature. This is anathema to me, to reject one's own soul is like rejecting the mind and consciousness itself.  Approaching scientifically minded people is possible if they have a seed of spirituality within them, as ministers we can nurture that and allow it to grow to it's full potential. ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button. 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. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Spiritualism

Spirituality My first response to "What is Thought:" = A voice in the head.   I was not able to come up with a scientific answer.  Personally I was excited when I started to read this lesson, as I have been using the power of visualization for years now.  As a minister I do not know everything, this is for sure.  I have decided that my religion is actually Life and the way I have chosen to "practice" it or celebrate it - well that is subjective; as what may be right for me might not be right for another, and it is important for me to realize that. Opinion =  My answer, A belief based on perspective or rumors from the stand point of ones personal experiences. Knowledge = my answer is that knowledge is learned info commonly based on community or facts. - I thought this was a great exercise.  And to understand this perspective of knowledge/opinion and that in actuality we "know nothing" .. A  favorite quote of mine from the movie Pure County is "there are no answers, just the search" - reminds me of this lesson. Talking about Imagination, I must share a story; - about 13 years ago my daughter was about 3 years old and we were getting ready to go somewhere and I told her to wear a dress and tights.  She did so and as I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, she was fussing with her legs.  She started to say "mom there are spiders on my legs ... mom ...".   I responded "there are no spiders on your legs".  she came back and said "Mom yes there are spiders on my legs and they are itchy".  I said again = "there are no spiders on your legs its just your imagination" ...and she responded "Well Mom - my imagination hurts ...."    THAT stopped me in my tracks, as that statement is so true for most people.  I realized then the power of thought. Talking about "truth", I started my search for truth about 15 years ago, was seeking spirituality and to know.  The more I sought to know the more I realized there was so much to learn which at times became overwhelming.  Now I realize that "truth" is a personal experience.  I now realize that what is true for me may not be for another.  I am a Truth seeker but I realize that this truth is subjective and now I seek more connections and experiences.  Now I am not learning to "know" but I rather I am learning to "be".   I hope through taking this course that I can help others find their personal truth or purpose or mission and find that meaning within their lives.   Thank you for the lesson. Walk with Wisdom, Peace and Patience, ~Naomi~ ******************** Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button. 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. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar