Science of Mind - Center for Spiritual Living Orange County - Rev. Sandy Moore

“Eschewing the Fisherman’s Hook!” March 7, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:00:52 +0000

“Anger or hatred is like a fisherman’s hook. It is very important for us to ensure we are not caught by it.” Dalai Lama

As we contemplate the world today, we see so many examples of the results of being caught up in anger and hatred. Individuals and nations find themselves at war because they have allowed themselves to get caught by the fisherman’s hook. Until we learn non-violent communication wherein each party is able to clearly state what it is that they need, confident that they are being heard, it would seem that conflict is inevitable. If we are to ever experience peace (true peace and not just the absence of conflict), it is necessary that each individual develops peace and compassion in his or her own heart. Peace does begin within each of us. We can learn to practice these qualities in every aspect of our life. Instead of reacting in anger at the driver that cuts you off, or the clerk that is surly, for instance, we can practice a compassionate response, realizing that that individual or those individuals are probably experiencing a need that is not being met, a feeling of not being heard.

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“Appearances Can Be Deceiving” February 28, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:00:55 +0000

Fifty years ago, a young Buddhist monk was forced into exile by invading Chinese armies. That monk, the Dalai Lama, spiritual leader of Tibet, soon grew into prominence as the symbol of love, peace and compassion for the entire world. He is the shining example of a human being completely devoid of anger, hatred or vengeful thoughts. He bears no animosity towards the Chinese, quite the contrary! He only feels love and compassion towards every one and every thing. Everywhere he travels, people by the thousands flock to his appearances just to be in his presence. Had he not been forced into exile, few, if any outside the remote country of Tibet, would have ever heard of him or had the opportunity to profit from his great wisdom. This is yet another example of how what appears to be a calamity actually may be a great spiritual advance for the entire world. From our limited human perspective, we do not have the power to judge what is ultimately good or bad. As we learn from such inspiring beings as the Dalai Lama, our vision becomes ever clearer and we are increasingly able to view everything as good and very good!

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“Imagination Is Everything…” February 21, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:00:44 +0000

“Imagination Is Everything; It Is the Preview of Coming Attractions” – Albert Einstein

Nothing is accomplished except through the power of imagination. Every piece of art, every piece of music, every book, and every invention is the product of someone’s imagination. Even the universe is the product of a divine vision. The form of government that we cherish was the product of the creative imagination of our forefathers. It is the faculty that places human beings above all other creatures. It is the supreme gift that we were endowed with when we were created in the image and likeness of God.

Now is the time in history where we can truly use the power of our imagination to create the world we have dreamed of…a world that works for everyone. For a moment, just picture in your mind a world of peace and harmony among all people and all nations; a world free from hunger and disease; a world based on the healing power of love. It is not an impossible dream; it is what we have the power to create as we consciously set our power of imagination to work. It is a great responsibility and a great privilege to recognize our God-given power to make the dream a reality as we commit to being the ones to bring about heaven on earth.

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY Celebrating LOVE” February 14, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:03:41 +0000

“Love makes the world go ’round. Love makes the world go ’round.” These words to a familiar ballad carry, as so many songs do, a deep spiritual truth. Love is the energy behind all expression, whether it is the precise orbit of the planets around the sun, or that which causes the trees and plants to grow and the animals to flourish, and which inspires us along the spiritual path to the realization of the true meaning of life. We are here for a purpose, to express the qualities of that Love, Peace, Joy and Abundance of Spirit in every aspect of our lives. Just as the plant reaches toward the sun, so the spirit within us reaches toward that ineffable Light of Spirit, the Light which guides us to become ever more of what we were created to be. In this Season for Peace, we make the commitment to express that Divine Love in everything we think, say, and do, knowing that love begets love and the whole world is transformed.

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“What Does Peace Mean to You?” February 7, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:00:24 +0000

What does peace mean to you? For many, it is a sort of uneasy truce where enemies agree to cease open hostility while eyeing each other with distrust. However, that is not peace but only a cessation of open warfare. True peace is altogether different. It begins in the heart of each individual. It is a Divine spark placed there at our creation which needs to be carefully tended and nurtured until it grows into a flame that fills our entire being and flows from us to all others. It is the urge to not just listen to others but to really hear what they are saying; to find a way in which we constantly practice nonviolent communication, to see that each individual’s and each nation’s needs are met. All mindful people have a deep desire to live in harmony with all, to share in activities that nurture the well-being of all. We have the power to make that so.

The Divine spark lives in the heart of each of us, but it must be consciously fed and nourished if we are to achieve a world that works for everyone. As we grow in the awareness of our oneness with all life, we feel the urge to practice loving-kindness to all others. As we do, we inspire others to do the same and the world is transformed. As those who are committed to the spiritual path, we have the sacred obligation to be the leaders in the movement to make this a world in which all peoples live in peace and harmony. Let 2010 be the year in which peace reigns supreme.

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“64 Days of Peace” January 31, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 18:00:49 +0000

Today, as we embark on the 64 days of peace, let us look back to some of the outstanding leaders of the past. Immediately, we remember Mahatma Gandhi who, through passive resistance, changed the course of history by freeing India from British tyranny. Following Gandhi’s legacy of non-violent action to eliminate social injustice, Henry David Thoreau, the American philosopher, stated that he was morally justified to peacefully resist unjust laws. Then, Martin Luther King Jr. rose to prominence as the great civil rights leader who, with quiet determination, stayed committed to his great dream of social and political equality among all races and creeds.

As we celebrate these leaders, let us make the commitment to individually and collectively continue in this great endeavor to bring peace and justice throughout the world. Peace truly does begin within each of us, and together we can bring to manifestation the Divine Plan of a planet free from war, a planet where all people live in peace and harmony. As we walk this path in unity of purpose, we create a world that truly does work for everyone, a world in which every individual dwells in the light of Divine peace, love and abundance.

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“Cultivating the Observer Consciousness” January 24, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 18:00:44 +0000

Every thought has its consequence, and every experience has a causative thought behind it. All things in one’s life have a thought that precedes them; therefore we need to learn to monitor our thoughts in order to create the kind of experience we want to have. So often the thoughts that are running through our mind are beneath the radar of our conscious mind. Then we wonder why our life seems to be so full of problems no matter how regularly we repeat affirmations of good. When we cultivate the observer consciousness, we train ourselves to be instantly aware of any negative thoughts as soon as they arise, replacing them with thoughts of a positive nature. Thoughts are things, and do manifest according to their nature. Our lives reflect back to us that which we are thinking. The Law works mechanically according to what is fed into it. Our minds can be trained to only project the images that we want to be reflected back to us. When we understand this simple fact, the road truly is made smooth and the crooked way straight, and the way we experience life is transformed.

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

A Reading by Rev. Sandy Moore, Sunday, January 10, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:19:12 +0000

This is my blessing for you:

I have faith in you, because I have faith in God in you.

I do not pray for you to be better than you are;

I pray for you to be as good as you are.

I pray for you to express your true essence, your Christ self.

I do not pray for you to be happy in the way I think your happiness lies.

I pray for you to follow your indwelling light,

which always leads to fulfillment and happiness.

I do not pray for you to be free from responsibilities.

I pray for you to be free from worry and anxiety,

to be the fearless, wise, confident, capable being that you are in Spirit.

I do not pray for you to conform to my idea of success and achievement.

I pray for you to express and expand your God-given abilities and talents

in your own unique and wonderful way.

I pray for you, knowing that you are God’s Beloved.

I bless you without reservation.

I love you as God loves you.

Let this be your blessing for others as well.

“With God All Things Truly Are Possible!” January 17, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:00:18 +0000

Ernest Holmes often stated the basic tenet of the Science of Mind in one sentence: “There is One Life, that Life is God, that Life is perfect, that Life is our life now!” We know that that Life is one of unlimited potential, so as it is our life, there is no limit to what we can do when we allow that Life to fully express in, through and as us. However, our mind must conceive what it is that we want before the Creative Energy which is the Law can produce the desired results. We must supply the avenue through which It can work. It is only when we consciously use the power of our word that we are able to bring that which we desire into manifestation. Often we do not experience the full expression of life because we do not truly believe that all the good that God is is available to us right here and now. We may judge ourselves as unworthy, undeserving of all that good. However, it is only our limited ideas that put limitations on us. All seeming limitations are self-imposed. As we become fully conscious that we are unique, individualized expressions of the One Life, we are free to experience the life that we were created to live. With God all things truly are possible! Let us resolve to let God be God in us and watch our life unfold in wonderful ways in the coming year.

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

“How Receptive Are You to Spirit?” January 10, 2010

RevSandyMoore — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:00:44 +0000

By Catherine Carriere, RScP Emeritus

Spirit works for us by working through us.

The Thing, then, works for us by working through us and is us, always. It cannot work for us in any other way. It spreads Itself over the whole universe and shouts at us from every angle, but It can become power to us ONLY WHEN WE RECOGNIZE IT AS POWER.

We cannot recognize that It is, while we are believing that It is not. Hence, it is written: “they…entered not in because of unbelief.” (Heb.4:6) We may enter in because of our belief, but we cannot enter while there is unbelief. Here we come to a house divided against itself. If we say we can only experience a little good, then we shall experience but a little good. But, if we say, with Emerson, “…there is no great and no small to the soul that maketh all,” then we may experience a greater good because we have conceived it.

Therefore, our belief sets the limit to our demonstration of a Principle which, of Itself, is without limit. It is ready to fill everything, because It is Infinite. So it is not a question of Its willingness, nor of Its ability. It is entirely a question of our own receptivity.