I grew up like most people in a dysfunctional home. My dad was hard working, very angry and a weekend alcoholic. He was emotionally unavailable and verbally and physically abusive. So needless to say my childhood was difficult. So what else is new? Right?

Today with my spiritual self awakened and alive, I am grateful for my childhood, my dad and all of my experiences. Through my spiritual insight and understanding, I see how that environment developed me in many ways and how it was the soil I needed to be planted in to be just who I am today. I am self-reliant, determined, compassionate and very sensitive to those who hurt emotionally and those who feel stuck mentally because I know what that is. I have a deep listening and understanding for people and these are invaluable gifts in ministry. So out of so much grief, sadness and pain something very beautiful was birthed…Transforming Love Community. Unconditional love is our focus and agenda and it’s amazing to see what love does.

It’s often our pain that gets us in touch with our purpose in life. When you look at major organizations like The Cancer Foundation, Hospice or Alzheimer’s Association, to name a few, you find that these organizations came into existence because of someone’s pain. The pain was the motivator to make life better for somebody else.

During this season of thankfulness, take a look at your pain. I believe that pain is a call to look deeper and to find the gift in it. I also believe that many of our challenges or problems are actually “growth opportunities.” I have talked to so many people who say that they were grateful for their addictions and many devastating experiences because it brought them into relationship with the higher power.

In some cultures they believe that crisis is just that, a dangerous opportunity. Ask yourself, “What am I learning in this experience?” Stop thinking that the challenge has come to destroy you. Your thoughts and your feelings are so powerful. What you believe about the situation will manifest. So believe that something good is coming out of it and allow that to manifest. When you get the lesson, you will get the blessing.

This spring, a very dear friend and colleague made her transition. It was sudden. Our church had the honor and privilege of caring for her and loving her over to the other side. I am not going to tell you that this did not sadden my heart or that I didn’t cry. I cried elephant tears and I was quite broken, yet inside of all that pain I also found joy and gratitude. She said that she was ready to go. I didn’t like hearing that from her, but I know that I must respect where people are without judging them or trying to change them. Our community came together and demonstrated the love that we say we are. I am grateful for that experience. I grew from the experience and I am living my life like it is golden because of the experience. Sometimes it’s about how we are perceiving a situation that determines whether we are grateful or sad.

That’s what I want you to explore. Explore viewing the experience or situation that upsets you or saddens you from another perspective, a higher perspective. That’s really what a miracle is according to A Course In Miracles; it’s the willingness to see things “differently.” Be willing to see negative, stress-producing situations differently. That’s what a miracle is according to ACIM. The course says and I am paraphrasing, “If I am not at peace, I have chosen wrongly and I can choose again.” To hold on to anger and upset is just to invite more anger and upset into our world. ACIM says, “We are never angry for the reason that we think.” Often we are angry because of how we have perceived a situation, oftentimes, not even realizing that something good is coming out of it.

I have been keeping my TV off so I don’t hear much news anymore. Today a friend told me about the little girls that were killed and how the father not only forgave the man but also started a scholarship for the daughters of the man. Now that’s another perspective. That’s the “Christ” perspective. Forgive them for they know not what they do.

What we praise, we raise.
We can call forth the good out of any and all situations.

In 1997, I studied with a teacher of the Law of Attraction. She taught me an exercise called, “The Appreciation Exercise.” Whatever it is you want to manifest... write it down and then begin writing why you would really appreciate it. The “why” is important. The “why” really touches the essence of the manifestation. For example, we are manifesting our new building.

I appreciate our sanctuary that has ample room for growth. I appreciate having a multi-purpose building for multi-purpose activities. I appreciate our wonderful parking lot, offices, café and fellowship area and age appropriate classrooms for our children. I appreciate being in a beautiful location. I appreciate that this entire manifestation is the responsibility of Spirit. Another way to say it is, the Spirit has the ability to respond.

As I am writing and appreciating, I am simultaneously sending these vibrations out into the universe. The universe is responsive. A friend of mine always says “What you are holding in your mind, is riding on the line and will come to you in time.” I have used this appreciation exercise and received positive results in many areas of my life.

Abundance and gratitude are linked together. Lack and ingratitude are linked together also. Gratitude ushers us into the atmosphere of the miraculous. What better time than now to experiment with the art of giving thanks.

In the story of Joseph in the Bible, his brothers tried to kill him; he was left for dead in a pit. Someone came along and rescued him from the pit and took him into a palace to work. He was lied on and put in jail because of the lie but as God would have it, he was released from the jail and became a very high official in the palace. You see sometimes things happen and it looks like it was meant for evil and sometimes it was meant for evil. When the high power is invited into the scenario, it turns out to be for good.

Melodie Beattie says, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order and confusion into clarity... It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.”