forgiveness

August 11, 2013 – You Spot It! You Got It!

by

8/18/13 Sheila Gautreaux, L.U.T.
You Spot It! You Got It!


We so want to judge, to criticize! We live in the present as if it were the past and project it into the future, creating our continuous experience (A Course in Miracles). You have enough life energy to heal any need every day. But each day we spend 60-70 % of our energy in our victim/perpetrator minds, and 20-30 % in our “what if” and worry stories. That leaves precious little for living in the present. We are very rarely in the present. Our perception of past events is projected onto what’s happening at any moment, and we are then missing that moment.

My friend Tra Boxer told me every time she has “something big” to do, she is almost stymied by fearful, negative feelings. She now knows this stems from when she won a scholarship to study in Paris, but was too afraid to go through with it. Over the years guilt, disappointment, even shame have been attached, and it all comes up now, every time. This is projection. We even project our pain on others, hoping get rid of it, but it comes back even stronger. Perception is pain, then projection, then suffering.

As a paralegal, I got a two month assignment to work with the notorious ‘itches in the office. Just as I expected, they were ‘itches in every way. I decided to pray, “What do I do? How would You have me handle it?” I remembered God has only one begotten son/daughter. I am that daughter, and the ‘itches are that daughter, too. We are all one. So I decided to see them as beautiful loving lights, and over the weekend, I affirmed constantly, “I love the work I do and the people I work with. I am loving and they are loving too.” Monday morning they greeted me cheerily and things were totally different. Had they changed over the weekend, or had I? We can change our lives by changing our minds! If you look for ‘itches, you will find ‘itches. So shift your perception. See the perfection in everyone, in every situation. When that is too difficult, just offer your little willingness to do it to the universe, to the Holy Spirit—or just your willingness to be willing to be willing—and the rest will be done for you. If you spot it, you got it!

And do the forgiveness work on all that stuff in your past. Say, “I withdraw any and all projections on my erroneous perceptions and I free you and myself to be who and what we were created to be: Whole and Perfect.” When in pain and suffering, look to see where your perception about someone or something might be at cause. Make the commitment to heal it. Repeat, “I am whole and perfect!” “I am whole and perfect!” “I am whole and perfect!”

March 31, 2013 – Every Time I Love

by

3/31/13 Rev. David McArthur

Every Time I Love

5 days after 9/11, in an Egyptian coffee shop in Queens, New York City, Labib Salam and his friends were trying to understand it all when 4 young men entered and smashed everything. The police quickly caught all four, but Labib didn’t press charges. He said, “I understand their rage.” Labib and his friends began to clean up, and within an hour the four young men returned to help. In Labib’s compassion and forgiveness, we are reminded of the forgiving Jesus did from the cross. It is an amazing thing.

Resurrection is a little different. It’s an inside job. You can’t do it for someone else. When those four guys went back to Labib, they thanked him for not pressing charges. They grabbed brooms to help and soon were sharing coffee and conversation. Labib and the 4 left as friends the next morning. That’s resurrection!

Jesus’ resurrection was a demonstration of the things he had shown all along. You too have done all those things—feeding the crowds and supporting those needing healing. We do it sometimes “because we gotta”, but other times in a consciousness of wholeness and love. That’s different. Love transforms. It cannot not. Every time I love, love transforms. It does every single time. So you’ve been that demonstration! You are that life—that love. Every time I love, love transforms.

When we really screw up we usually blame others or just run away. The sense of connection is dead. Your compassion is dead. There is only you. But these guys touched the compassion of responsibility and brought back life.  Death is not the end. Those parts of us that are lifeless then are brought back to life. What makes the difference is the love. Every time I love, love transforms.

Sugar transforms the bitter cacao bean into chocolate, and the whole world loves it! Chocolate, as in the chocolate Easter egg, is a symbol if, every time you take a bite, you know love transforms. Make the commitment. Every time you take a bite of chocolate remember, Every time I love, love transforms. It is who you are—the beautiful child of God! And Every time you love, love transforms.

March 31, 2013 – Every Time I Love

by

3/31/13 Rev. David McArthur
Every Time I Love

Five days after 9/11, in an Egyptian coffee shop in Queens, New York City, Labib Salam and his friends were trying to understand it all when 4 young men entered and smashed everything. The police quickly caught all four, but Labib didn’t press charges. He said, “I understand their rage.” Labib and his friends began to clean up, and within an hour the four young men returned to help. In Labib’s compassion and forgiveness, we are reminded of the forgiving Jesus did from the cross. It is an amazing thing.

Resurrection is a little different. It’s an inside job. You can’t do it for someone else. When those four guys went back to Labib, they thanked him for not pressing charges. They grabbed brooms to help and soon were sharing coffee and conversation. Labib and the 4 left as friends the next morning. That’s resurrection!

Jesus’ resurrection was a demonstration of the things he had shown all along. You too have done all those things—feeding the crowds and supporting those needing healing. We do it sometimes “because we gotta”, but other times in a consciousness of wholeness and love. That’s different. Love transforms. It cannot not. Every time I love, love transforms. It does every single time. So you’ve been that demonstration! You are that life—that love. Every time I love, love transforms.

When we really screw up we usually blame others or just run away. The sense of connection is dead. Your compassion is dead. There is only you. But these guys touched the compassion of responsibility and brought back life.  Death is not the end. Those parts of us that are lifeless then are brought back to life. What makes the difference is the love. Every time I love, love transforms.

Sugar transforms the bitter cacao bean into chocolate, and the whole world loves it! Chocolate, as in the chocolate Easter egg, is a symbol if, every time you take a bite, you know love transforms. Make the commitment. Every time you take a bite of chocolate remember, Every time I love, love transforms. It is who you are—the beautiful child of God! And Every time you love, love transforms.

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August 12, 2012 – Rev. David’s Forgiveness Experience

by

8/12/12 Rev. David McArthur

Rev. David’s Forgiveness Experience

It is important that we let go of what keeps us bound. We experience pain, hurt, and loss as part of life. What is important is what we do with them. After the murder of my first wife, in those night times, I felt anger and hate. They are natural and there is nothing wrong in feeling them. But when I was in anger and hate I was not in the place of love. Love and hate are not two sides of the same coin.

Our baby girl lost everything. Less than a year old, to her, her mother was everything. I could not bring to her all the love and care she needed if I were still attached to the hate. So I prayed to be done with the hurt and anger. After that it was a little easier to pull myself away from them. But it did not take them away.

One afternoon I was playing with blocks on the floor with our daughter. When I sat back on the couch I saw that she was still playing with someone. She was playing like she was in the presence of her mother. I was overwhelmed with the experience of love. I lost all awareness of the couch and of the room. As Patricia Grabow has said, “It was love to the millionth power.” I have no idea how long it lasted. It remains the most beautiful experience of my life.

From that point forward my life was different. I had no anger. I had no hate. I was free. Free to put my attention on that beautiful child without being pulled away by the pain. I was healed of the great pain I had needed the hate and anger for. It did not take away the loss. It was just different.

Later that year I went to the mental institution for a meeting with the man who had taken my wife’s life. His mind still buried what he had done. I did not feel hate; I did not feel love. I felt deep compassion. His was the other life that had been destroyed.

What I learned was in two parts. The first, the experience of forgiveness, I have talked about before. The other part is to see goodness even in this experience, and in every experience —to see the goodness of God —that God is good all the time. I saw in this experience a presence and power that healed me and freed me to be about what is important and meaningful in my life.

I understand how we do it (hate and indignation). I also understand that in each of us we desire to be free and to know what we are about. I never asked for forgiveness—only to be free. Even as I have listened to others telling of great personal violation that I felt was unforgivable, I have seen them open to love and find forgiveness and freedom.

There is a love inside of you that is so powerful and forgiving that you can heal your pain, and you can walk free! Your heart can ask to be healed and fulfilled so that you can go about what you are here to be.

However right it is to feel the hurt and anger, there is healing. And if there is ever a time for you to be free, that time is now!

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August 12, 2012 – Rev. David’s Forgiveness Experience

by


8/12/12 Rev. David McArthur

It is important that we let go of what keeps us bound. We experience pain, hurt, and loss as part of life. What is important is what we do with them. After the murder of my first wife, in those night times, I felt anger and hate. They are natural and there is nothing wrong in feeling them. But when I was in anger and hate I was not in the place of love. Love and hate are not two sides of the same coin.

Our baby girl lost everything. Less than a year old, to her, her mother was everything. I could not bring to her all the love and care she needed if I were still attached to the hate. So I prayed to be done with the hurt and anger. After that it was a little easier to pull myself away from them. But it did not take them away.

One afternoon I was playing with blocks on the floor with our daughter. When I sat back on the couch I saw that she was still playing with someone. She was playing like she was in the presence of her mother. I was overwhelmed with the experience of love. I lost all awareness of the couch and of the room. As Patricia Grabow has said, “It was love to the millionth power.” I have no idea how long it lasted. It remains the most beautiful experience of my life.

From that point forward my life was different. I had no anger. I had no hate. I was free. Free to put my attention on that beautiful child without being pulled away by the pain. I was healed of the great pain I had needed the hate and anger for. It did not take away the loss. It was just different.

Later that year I went to the mental institution for a meeting with the man who had taken my wife’s life. His mind still buried what he had done. I did not feel hate; I did not feel love. I felt deep compassion. His was the other life that had been destroyed.

What I learned was in two parts. The first, the experience of forgiveness, I have talked about before. The other part is to see goodness even in this experience, and in every experience —to see the goodness of God —that God is good all the time. I saw in this experience a presence and power that healed me and freed me to be about what is important and meaningful in my life.

I understand how we do it (hate and indignation). I also understand that in each of us we desire to be free and to know what we are about. I never asked for forgiveness—only to be free. Even as I have listened to others telling of great personal violation that I felt was unforgivable, I have seen them open to love and find forgiveness and freedom.

There is a love inside of you that is so powerful and forgiving that you can heal your pain, and you can walk free! Your heart can ask to be healed and fulfilled so that you can go about what you are here to be.

However right it is to feel the hurt and anger, there is healing. And if there is ever a time for you to be free, that time is now!