ARCHIVES 2023
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 Paul Laurence Dunbar, born in 1872, is credited as the first writer to put the African American experience before a broad audience. Born to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky, Paul became a poet and novelist. He was a classmate of the Wright brothers in Dayton, Ohio. Paul’s dream was to become a journalist and to publish a newspaper for the local Black community, but the city didn’t allow it. So, the Wright brothers built a printing press in their basement and printed his newspaper, The Tattler. Of the Wright brothers and their vision, Paul once wrote: "What dreams we have and how they fly."
“The night is not all dark, nor is the day all it seems. But each may bring me this relief: my dreams and dreams.” – Paul Laurence Dunbar Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I am grateful for the dreams nestled in my heart and soul. To share with others my true self. To express my truth and my longings. To fly on currents of ambition, rightfulness, and love. To be free. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  Matilda Handy, a 10-year-old British girl who wanted to write a letter to her departed grandparents, came up with the idea of installing mailboxes at cemeteries so people would have a way to write their loved ones who had passed. The idea has taken off, with more than 40 cemeteries across the UK putting up the mailboxes. About 3,000 letters have been dropped in the mailboxes, bringing comfort to lots of people.
“I lift up my heart in gratitude for the beautiful bridges that bind us together in love.” – Edward Hays, author and storyteller Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I give thanks for the everlasting bond I have with my soul companions, with all life. I affirm that these points of union are occasions of pure beingness, pure love. These felt connections lift me up, give me strength and purpose, and bring me home. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  Modern U.S. earthquakes could be aftershocks from quakes in the 1800s, according to new research. Frequent aftershock activity stemming from a trio of quakes that occurred near the Missouri-Kentucky border between around 1811 is likely continuing today. “We use the time, distance, and the magnitude of event pairs, and try to find the link between two events,” said geoscientist Yuxuan Chen.
“The notion that there is a connection between this life and previous existence follows from the Buddhist understanding of cause and effect. Events in the past affect the present and those of the present the future. In the realm of consciousness, there is a continuum between the events of the past, present, and future.” – the Dalai Lama Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, today I quit trying to make things happen. Rather, I mindfully hang out with the energy of my consciousness: my thoughts, beliefs, and devotions. I get my littleness out of the way and allow the creative process to work unbridled in the continuum of my life. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  Low-carbon flying moved a step closer this week. In a world first, a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 flew across the Atlantic from London to New York, running on a low-carbon fuel made mostly from food waste. “The world will always assume something can’t be done, until you do it,” said Virgin founder Richard Branson.
“Everyone has oceans to fly, if they have the heart to do it. What do dreams know of boundaries?” – Amelia Earhart Affirmative prayer: With the awareness that we are all united with the Divine, I affirm that whatever is conceived in mind can be achieved in form. I give thanks for the imagination, faith, and courage within me and within others to bring a higher order of living to this world. We are one in Spirit’s natural, whole life. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  A massive marijuana farm was found inside a Tennessee church after neighbors complained about a smell coming from the church, and it was no pot-luck they were smelling. Authorities had also looked into the church’s utility bills and became suspicious of its unusually high water bill because the church baptizes people by sprinkling, rather than full submersion.
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? Oh, ye of little faith!” – Matthew 6:30 Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I give thanks for spiritual community. For the support of members, for friendships, for guidance and comfort, and for the light of goodness made visible. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  In 1955, Rosa Parks got on a Montgomery city bus, sat down, then was told to give up her seat for a white man. Parks refused and was arrested for violating racial segregation laws. The act launched a bus boycott that lasted 13 months and altered American history. An estimated 40,000 African American commuters found other ways to get to work, some of them walking for miles. The next year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that upholding racial segregation laws on buses in Alabama was unconstitutional.
“People say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.” – Rosa Parks Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I no longer will give in to the doubt and fear that has kept give me from the good life which the Universe has called me to. From this moment, I walk the pure path, allowing purpose, clarity, and goodness to lead me on the journey. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  After 60 years, The Rolling Stones are gearing up for another concert tour. The legendary rock band, featuring Mick Jagger, will embark on the “Hackney Diamonds” tour in support of their recent album. The band first toured in the United States in June 1964.
“Aging brings out the flavors of a personality, the way fruit matures and ripens. As we age, our ideas, formerly light and rambling, gather more into values and philosophy, giving our lives substance and firmness.” – Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul Affirmative prayer: In the truth of Oneness, I affirm that life is good all the time. I’m grateful for the grand adventure of living, of evolving more every day into the vision that Spirit has held for me since before the beginning. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  After a 17-day effort by rescuers, 41 workers trapped in an under-construction tunnel in the Himalayas have been freed. Following days of drilling through rubble, a team of "rathole miners" – workers experienced in narrow tunnel excavations using handheld tools – were sent in to dig through the remaining 40 feet. The miners managed a breakthrough in just over a day, creating a tunnel through which the workers crawled out.
“When you're doing a mountain rescue, you don't look for someone who has a PhD in rescue operations; you look for someone who knows the terrain.” - Rory Stewart, British author and diplomat Affirmative prayer: Infinite Presence, I give thanks for those who have gone before me to make the “crooked places straight, cut the bars of iron,” (Isaiah 45:2), and show me the way. I pray that I can be such a light for others. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  “The way through the sadness that comes from loss is to use it as motivation and generate a deeper sense of purpose. – The Dalai Lama, The Book of Joy
Affirmative prayer: Today, I am in touch with any sadness that may be resident in my heart. I have the courage to let myself feel it, and I see it as an invitation to go deeper, to let it move me into cultivating a higher sense of purpose. In this, there is healing, gratitude, and renewal. Thank you, God, forever. Amen.  Hello dear ones. I’m writing today to let you know that I’m making a change with my Spiritual Passages work. For years, I’ve been sending Daily Reflections to all you beloved souls. And, separately, I’ve been sending a Weekly Passage to ministers and church leaders – messages that support the preaching and teaching work that spiritual leaders do. I’ve decided to let go of the Daily Reflections, but continue with the Weekly Passages to spiritual leaders. If you’ve been getting the Weekly Passages, you’ll continue to do so. If you’ve been receiving the Dailies, I’ll send you a sample of how the Weekly Passages read, along with an invitation to subscribe to them. My last Daily Reflection will go out December 8. I have loved being connected with you through this work, and I know that we will remain connected, forever.
“Things are forever changing, and I have found that, in these journeys of transition, when endings are done well, beginnings are much more peaceful. CHANGE is actually a beautiful acronym: a Chance to Have A New God Experience.” – Rebecca Shinas, Dominican Sister of Mission San Jose Affirmative prayer: Today, I give thanks for the Oneness of all Life, for my union with kindred spirits. I bless each one on their journey, affirming that their lives are beautifully underwritten by the Divine. Thank you, God, forever. Amen. |