A big part of the rest that works is allowing the meaning of our core beliefs to sink in.

For instance, as it sinks in that we are eternal souls created in the image of God, we realize some things. One is that we will exist after the occurrence of anything, including the worst of our fears. While there are many things that could kick us out of our body, no one but God could end us.

We will always exist in the next moment of "now." The main question is: "In what spirit?" If we think about it, the central question affecting any moment is: "What spirit is moving in me?" This is the core question of life. Being mindful to it as we go is part of the rest that works. Then we can make choices in keeping with the Living God.

There are 2 main sponsoring movements of spirit with which we tend to operate: condition-based fear or unconditional love. Since God is Love beyond our imagination, it always makes sense to seek to be grounded in God—the Wonderful Creative Spirit behind and within All of Life. There is never a moment in which grounding in the Living God is not best for us. This is why Jesus echoed the great commandment and it's corollary from Jewish tradition, "Love the Lord your God—the Great I AM—with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength" and "Love others as yourself." He was essentially saying: “Choose God and Divine Love as The Spirit with which you wish to move, moment by moment. Ask God for help in doing so. I came to seek to live this way with whoever wants (it’s actually the main goal for which we all came).” 

This is why Jesus said, “Come to me all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest . . .” The Message version of this passage by Eugene Peterson goes like this:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

                                                                                 Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)
 

This is the core inspiration behind Christianity.  As we learn to live in alignment with the unforced rhythms of grace giving us life, we learn to fly with the Ever-Creative Holy Spirit. The true meaning of our core beliefs sinks in and we experience our greatest opportunity—living our lives in the powerful, uplifting current of Divine Love. As we come to rest in that current like an eagle doing little more than spreading her wings in an updraft, we experience the miracle that the rest that works is all about—the mystical power of God’s Love. We experience eternal or complete life—fulfilling life every moment we move with God’s Love wherever else we may be. 

More power to you in stretching your wings and soaring in the eternal life God gives. Thanks for journeying together.
 

Blessings,
Scott

One of the main gifts of the rest that works is coming to a deeper appreciation and love of God's Holy Spirit -- The Creative Spirit behind and within All of Life. Samuel Taylor Coleridge named this better than I ever could:

O the one Life

within us and abroad,

Which meets all motion

and becomes its soul,

A light in sound,

a sound-like power in light,

Rhythm in all thought,

and joyance everywhere--

Methinks, it should have been impossible

Not to love all things

in a world so filled.

 

~Samuel Taylor Coleridge (from The Eolian Harp)


More power to you in falling in love with God today!

Our desire to feel "at home" is a fundamental human desire. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the most ancient meditative chants from Hindu and Buddhist tradition sound like our word for “home” ("ohm"). I also don’t think that it’s a coincidence that Jesus emphasized the opportunity of making a home with God in his last words with his disciples.  John 14-17 is all about living from a home with God--like a branch in a vine. Coming home to God meets our most fundamental needs, empowers us to share home-making love with others and frees us to experience true joy in the adventure of life.

This is why the rest that works is so important. It’s a way home to God through some specific, Biblical steps: 

1. Trust the Living God in Whom "we live and move and have our being" with the confidence and playfulness of an adored child—because you are  (Acts 17:28).
2. Rest—Release any critical, conditional thoughts so you can open your heart to unconditional love. Slow down, take a few breaths and trust the unforced rhythms of grace that are giving you life. Settle in with them like a branch in a vine (John 15).
   
3. Work—Seek to create the highest good in the moment with the Living God of Love, not a critical spirit that would condemn you or others (1 Peter 2:1).
   

We don’t have to figure everything out anymore than a two-year old has to figure out all of her questions before running into her mom and dad’s open arms. It’s simply a matter of moving in the right spirit as we go about our lives. When we trip or go the wrong way, there's no need for any beating up. Sincerely pray for help, turn or get up and seek to live in God's Love again trusting that help will be there. Be open to the help that appears, within and without.

More power to you in coming home to God and creating a “home” with others out of God's Love. When you struggle, ask the Holy Spirit for help and go with what feels most home-making inside, step by step. Trust that the Spirit will keep home-making in you and with you.

Thanks for doing the work of home-building together, for ourselves and for others. It may be the most important gift you ever give anybody, including yourself.

Blessings,

Scott

Welcome to the new website and blog!

I hope that you will take the opportunity to simply sit and listen to the song that opens with the home-page -- Simple Gifts sung by Allison Krause accompanied by Yo-Yo Ma. Doesn't sound like it would take much effort, does it?

But I'm already experiencing how counter-cultural it can feel to actually sit long enough to listen to the whole song. (It takes 2 minutes and 34 seconds). It can be hard to sit that long. The pragmatist in me wants to get going.  He's at the computer. He's ready to go. He does not yet fully appreciate, value and want to integrate all of this spiritual stuff in how I actually live my life. He thinks it should be relegated to worship and prayer time, not daily life.

So as I sit at the computer, I tell myself to relax and take some time to get perspective. I remind myself of how I want to settle in with the unforced rhythms of grace giving me life in God's Love.  I can hear the pragmatist in me saying, "Yeah, sure, of course" but it is only as that part of me truly allows, rests and listens that the desired shift happens. It is only as the feeling of loving starts moving that all parts of me truly recognize how important and priceless loving is as an active movement of spirit. It's a holy, healing spirit born of The Holy Spirit. It is the Breath of the Living God within us. It even makes the pragmatist in me feel better as he settles down and realizes the mystical power of Love. We want that Spirit of God's Love to be as alive and active in us as much as possible.

The song says it well: "to turn, turn will be our delight, 'till by turning, turning we come out right"

Trust in God and work. Rest in the Creative Love giving you life and work from there. See how the two are connected and how working with the Creative Forces of the Living God always works best. As that becomes clearer and clearer, life does too.

Thanks for journeying together. Let me invite you to sit and listen to the song Simple Gifts whenever you come to the site (or at least whenever you feel any desire to settle down and move with love). Take some time to open to the God of Love who beckons us through it and a million other things. I think that I am going to make it my practice to do so at least once a day for awhile, simply to invite the pragmatist in me to know he's loved and wanted not just to produce but to feel safe and wanted before any performance. Then it's even more fun to create out of love.

More power to you in developing or improving your relationship with God and others along the lines of the rest that works.

Blessings,

Scott