THE POWER OF TEN

We believe the ultimate goal of life is the complete emancipation from all discord of every nature and that it is sure to be attained by all.  ~Ernest Holmes, Declaration of Principles

We accept a lot of rules and regulations throughout our lives. Most of them aren't written, they are learned and accepted from childhood. Our parents, teachers, clergy, friends or society put these ideas into our heads and we buy into them out of emotional immaturity or blind acceptance because it is from an adult or role model. When we realize that these ideas no longer serve us (if they truly ever did), sometimes after painful experiences or even "hitting bottom," we finally step back and seek wisdom from our Source, seek original purpose and intelligence.

Our purpose is to express our divine potential ... The more we awaken to our divine nature, the more fully God expresses in and through our lives. We are here to set a positive example and be a role model for others. We are here to make the world a better place.   ~UNITY Principles

How do we do that? How do we emancipate ourselves from these ideas, these rules and regulations that are in our way to a prosperous, love-filled, peaceful life? It's many times a desperate mish-mash. Sometimes we re-read Chopra's 7 Spiritual Laws of Success or a Louise Hay book or an Ernest Holmes book or go back to Emerson's Spiritual Laws essay. We may refer back to the Golden Rule or the Buddha's Four Noble Truths. But, there's also the 7 Hermetic Principles and many, many more ideas and reading material that we can seek to inform us, inspire us and gives us tools, through spiritual laws, to reboot, rebuild and transcend.

How many of these spiritual laws are there? Do a search, it can be confusing. Is it...7? 33? 4? 11? 105? 1? Throughout the millennia of sacred texts and New Thought books, we grapple with whatever we can to assist us moving away from these learned, stagnant, and destructive rules and regulations. Today, I want to talk about the spiritual laws that add up to the power of ten.

Quite the interesting number, here are some examples of the power of ten:

     *The Roman numeral for 10 is X, which is two V’s (the Roman numeral for five) put together.

     *The length of an adult hand is usually 1/10 of their height.

     *The traditional 10th anniversary gift is tin, though in more recent times, the gift changed to diamonds....inflation, I suspect.

     *Pythagoras considered 10 to be the most sacred number, as 10 = 1 (existence) + 2 (creation) + 3 (life) + 4 (four elements-earth, air, fire and water). The Pythagoreans believed that 10 was the greatest of all numbers, because it grasps all arithmetic proportions.

     *Ten per cent of the world is left-handed.

     *A divine number in numerology, 10 means a return to unity, the fusion of being and non-being. It also denotes the completion of a cycle, making one very skilled at whatever they choose to do. It has been said that it takes 10,000 hours of practice before one becomes proficient at something. In China, the number 10 means perfection.

     *In sports, ten is the highest score possible in Olympic competitions. The top of the basketball hoop is 10' from the ground. The Big 10 is a collection of college athletic teams...though now it numbers 14.

     *There are ten letters on the Snellen Reading Chart we all use at the optometrists office or DMV: C – D – E – F – L – N – O – P – T – Z.

     *Interstate 10 is a coast to coast highway that spans from Florida to California.

     *Sikhism was founded by Guru Nanak (1469 – 1539) in North India. They believe the word of God came through the Ten Gurus, in a series of rituals, poems, hymns and the Punjabi language. The final of the Ten Gurus was Guru Gobind Singh, finishing his work in approximately 1700.

     *In Kabbalah, which means to receive, The Tree of Life or the Ten Sefirot are the fundamental forces in the Universe. Kabbalists seek to receive the knowledge of God through the ten sefirot. The first three deal with the mind. The next three deal with emotion. The third group deals with what is acted upon. And the final sefirah is the manifestation.

     *Hinduism teaches that the god Vishnu will be reincarnated ten times. So far, Vishnu has been reincarnated nine times. The last incarnation was the Buddha during the Kali Yuga, which is the current time period. The final time is yet to come, which is called Kalki, who is expected to be arriving riding on a white horse and destroy all evil, bringing in a new age called Satya Yurga. I wonder if it will be apocalyptic?                           

     *In the Bible, the number 10 is used 242 times: ten plagues, Yeshua healed 10 lepers, tithing number in Leviticus/Malachai is 10%....exactly what my agent takes every time I get work.

The biggest of the big 10 are the tablets Charlton Heston brought down from Mt. Sinai. There were 15 originally, but, according to historian Mel Brooks, one tablet slipped and broke into 10 million pieces; so we were left with the ten.

Be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the laws which Moses my servant has commanded you; turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may succeed wherever you go.    ~Joshua 7

It is written that these Powerful Spiritual Laws came from the finger of Spirit. In Scriptures, it is called Aseret ha'Dibrot or the Ten Statements or Utterances. It is a Decalogue, 10 Words that are never actually called the ten commandments, but nonetheless are 10 ideas of not only how to live an ethical life, but one that is connected to our greatest Self. So, here now, with a translation I believe is closest to the Hebrew in the Book of Exodus, the Power of Ten:

I am the Lord, God of you

It translates as the God of you, not the God over you … of you. Instead of a Man in the Sky fairy tale, the I AM impressed upon the Israelites that It was a being, an energy, a power of you. This denotes a relationship, a connection between God and mankind. The image of the I AM, written about in Genesis and earlier in Exodus is of you; our likeness to God does not have to do with the physical body, it is that of Its creative power, It's intelligence. It's image, not like looks, not a physical thing, but of an energetic, creative thing is of you...and me. This first utterance of these ten is a reminder that people are of God (so too, I believe are any living thing). We are an individualization of that Power, a personification and personalized version of that Divine Presence...the God of you.

Not have, shall to you gods other, beside my face 

Besides Its face, Its idea, Its energy, Its Love, you shall have no other. So I have a question for you: What would be the “other face,” the opposite of an infinite, wise, all-knowing, intelligence that is perfect, whole and complete, unconditionally loving creator of all things? Whatever that is, I don't want it in my life. I don't want negativity, hate, spitefulness, imperfect, dis-eased, dis-tressed energy or power in my life. Do you want that in your life?!?  Well that's the second spiritual law on these tablets. Don't bring that negative energy in your life. Don't buy into the idea that doing whatever, no matter the circumstances to others, to get what you want is the face of God. Theses first two bits of wisdom is pretty much all you need. If we all incorporated these first two, the others would follow naturally, but the Divine wants to be very clear. It continues...

Not you, shall take the name, God of you, for vanity

The Hebrew that is usually translated to the word "vanity" is sheva, which actually means empty or false. Don't use the name, the power, the creative energy that is of you, in you for empty or false means or reasons. We should never invoke It's name in a thoughtless, careless, or stormy manner. When we call upon our powers intentionally, we are actually invoking that we recognize and unify with God as First Cause, the highest power in the universe to manifest Itself through us for a specific purpose. When we use that power for false purposes, empty of the traits of Its face (see above), we are breaking the promise of our very existence. Since the Law is faithful and true to our revelations and declarations, It is always present whenever It is called. This is serious business, what we think, say and do, and we should never take it lightly. Our thoughts, backed by our feelings, turn into beliefs, and beliefs color and flavor and turn into our experiences. Using this power for destructive purposes to our selves or others, goes against the ideas of the creative power we have been gifted. I understand that fleeting thoughts sometimes are negative against one's self and others, but what are the consistent thoughts and words evoked by us all? I ask you, what words, ideas, thoughts and beliefs are you putting after “I Am...?”

Remember the day of Sabbath, to keep it apart

”Remember” is the usual translation of the word, za'kahor, but the Hebrew is more accurately deciphered as "to keep in mind, to actively focus. We are being reminded to actively focus on the Sabbath, which really means to cease or rest. So we need to not only actively focus on resting, but that this ceasing of work is a sacred activity to keep apart from other activities. It a sacrament to actively focus the mind and body on rest, relaxation, and mindfulness. We are to set apart time to focus on and honor the marvelous works of our thoughts and actions. It is not only a day off, it is a spiritual practice. And it is not only about one day off, it can be many moments throughout our day, week, etc. A time of ceasing work, mentally and physically, is a sacred time, a time of reflection, re-booting and just Being....a Divine time to reveal the Divinity within by consciously reconnecting with the Source and Substance of our supply.

Be heavy at the father of you and the mother of you

It is not only speaking about our physical parents, who are the catalyst for our existence. It is, as well, the Source and Substance of all of our supply and all life. It is the mother-father-God, parent of all, we are to "honor." You may not like them, your parents, they may not be nice, but the word does not really mean honor, it means be heavy at or give weight to them. It also does not mean who have to like them, but give import to what you are taught by and through them. Sometimes it is to be informed to how not to be or taught to be the very opposite of how they were to you or treated you. If your childhood was a negative experience as far as your parents go (which I am sad to hear), is it not advantageous to the rest of your life to forgive them, learn from their mistakes, be better than them and not focus on that lousy childhood? It may take some work to do that (and I honor the mental and emotional work you may have to complete) and that does not excuse their behavior, but if our perspective is on healing and learning, we honor ourselves and the father-mother-God in all.


These first five statements are about recognizing and unifying with that which we individualize, that which we represent. The tablets say to respect the Presence within and the Power it individualizes in you and us all. To honor the vertical relationship between each of us and the Universe through our parents, our community and our world. And to take time to rest, reboot and reconnect to the Great Parent. Continuing through the ten utterances, the next five are... 

Not you will murder

Let's look at this one a little deeper than the obvious. I believe this has to do with life, but not just physically. Of course the murder of another human is heinous. But I believe, this section encompasses more; it is speaking also of any shame, lies, gossip or slander said, as well. Shame causes the blood to leave the face which represents a death. Gossip, lies and slander is murderous to the dignity of a person. This type of murder is closer to the thousand cuts idea from the Arabian Nights stories.

In The Pirkei Avot (Ethics of the Fathers), it says, "The evil tongue slays three persons: the utterer of the evil, the listener, and the one spoken about."  Yeshua also linked the ideas of our words and attitudes with murder in Matthew, when he said, "Know you not, that whatever enters the mouth, passes into the belly, and from there is ejected through the intestines? But that which proceeds from the mouth, comes from the heart: and that is what defiles a man. For, from the heart comes out evil thoughts, adultery, murder, theft, false testimony. These are the things that defile a person."

No will you commit adultery

Hebrew word for adultery is na-ap. Adultery is a grave sacrilege, since it not only violates the sworn promise of parties to a sacred covenant, but perverts the picture of our union with God Itself. It is a lie and a theft, an infidelity of promise and a shaming of all. Interestingly, it applies mostly to men, according to Jewish Law, but the idea is universal....don't break the sacred promise you made to your mate, your partner, your friend, etc.

No will you steal, afflict a companion with false witness (lie) or crave all which is companion's

The last three I lumped together. This is not just about theft from others, but theft from self, our self-deceptions. It's not just about lies about others, it, too, is about lying about or to oneself. All are One. The opposite of the word lie in Hebrew is emet (truth), which interestingly uses the first, middle and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, indicating truth is the first thing, last thing, and all in between everything. So, if you afflict a companion with false witness (a lie), you are being the opposite of truthful, and truth encompasses all of the best of life. Now the action of coveting is an ego thing; not trusting you can manifest whatever it is that you want that someone else might have. We don't need to covet, but template what it is someone else has that you would like in your life.  "I'll have what she's having" does not mean her possession, but one like it. And you do this with your thoughts and feelings and by manifesting it for yourself.

The seventh through tenth of the ideas of these tablets are about not taking from others, because there is no reason to take. The Universe is infinite, there is more than enough to go around. The act of taking is from a lack consciousness. It is from a perspective that one can't have. It is something we get taught and it can become a rule and regulation in our lives; one that, of course, does not ever serve us. If one gives oneself to the I AM and allows themselves to develop a have consciousness, it will show up, whatever that it is. There is infinite available in this infinite and ever-expanding Universe, so go ahead and get your own.

My point in this blog is let's not poo-poo, be afraid of or discount this mitzvah (the actual Hebrew word for commandment-see Deuteronomy 5:25). A mitzvah is a directive or landmark for guidance; a direction given on one's journey. These ten powerful statements are directions to guide us on our journey to manifesting a prosperous life. Like a Bar or Bat Mitzvah is the beginning of the journey for a 13 year old Jewish child to enter adulthood in the spiritual culture, so too, are these ten utterances a guide for spiritual and emotional maturity. They are ethics to be guided by, yes, but more than that, they are for keeping our hearts, minds and beliefs cleansed of dis-ease, dis-tress, dis-connection and dis-array.

The transformation takes place here. You don’t have to wonder if it will take place out there; the world will come when enough of us see through the night into the celestial light “that shineth more and more, unto the perfect day.     ~Ernest Holmes

This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you shall meditate thereon day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein; for then you shall succeed and prosper.  ~Joshua 8

Let's stop flirting with this Principle and the power of 10! 

Never sacrifice principle, even for a special occasion. When we sacrifice principle, we are sacrificing our Truth.   ~Dr. Robert Bitzer

Don't look outside of Self for Power or validation. The outside is full of anxiety that eats at us with money fears, the news, nagging bosses, gossip, etc. Stop, rest, and look inside your heart; then take action in mind, heart and body from wisdom of your highest self.

Rediscover Your True Potential 

by placing the Power of 10 in your life!

Affirmation
I make living prosperously a hip thing. I make living creatively a hip thing. I make living healthfully & full of vitality a hip thing. And I make living a life that is full of love, grace, ease and peace a hip thing.

I am hip to my Universal poTENtial times ten times ten times ten. So, I synchronize my heart, mind, intuition and imagination to the Presence of Spirit within, inspiring me every moment of every day to demonstrate my greatest poTENtial.... times ten times ten times ten.

AMAZED BY YOUR GRACE

Have you heard or said any of these?

Q: Why can’t a leopard hide?
A: Because he’s always spotted.

Q: How do moths swim?
A: Using the butterfly stroke.
Q: What do you get from a pampered cow?
A: Spoiled milk!

Q: Why are spiders so smart?
A: They can find everything on the web.

Q: Which is faster, hot or cold?
A: Hot, because you can catch a cold.

Q: Why are elevator jokes so good?
A: They work on so many levels.

Last Sunday, America celebrated Father's Day. And these jokes reminded me of my father. Are Dad jokes...an affliction you had to endure or a great memory? Sunday started me thinking about all that fatherhood stuff. Do you remember when you realized your father didn't know everything? When his fallibility and foibles as a human became evident? Some of you may have had a lot of that in their life, which made childhood very unpleasant in some cases. There comes a time when we have to remember that Dad's have a past, too. The seed of each of us and our beliefs have history and we should take a look at them in that light, as well.

Everyone and everything has been fathered. It is said that metaphysics was seeded by Parmenides who talked about the relationship between mind and matter, and it all being one thing. He wrote, "We can speak and think only of what exists. And what exists is uncreated and imperishable for it is whole and unchanging and complete. It was not or nor shall be different since it is now, all at once, one and continuous." He, of course, was followed by some better known philosophers of the time, Plato and Aristotle. They were the fathers of the philosophy which most of you reading this blog ascribe.

The Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, fathered the Four Noble Truths, the tenets of Buddhism. He once said, "We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The seeds of New Thought come from Ralph Waldo Emerson, who told us, "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." He was followed by the New Thought father of mental healing, Phineas Quimby, the "thoughts are things” idea from Prentice Mulford & James Allen, Practical Christianity from Charles and Myrtle Fillmore, and, of course, Science of Mind from Ernest Holmes, who, when asked about the doctrine of divine love and the Fatherhood and Motherhood of God, said, 

"Religious Science teaches that there is one universal, self-consciousness or Spirit, which we call God; that there is a universal reaction to that spiritual consciousness which is the law of mind in action, and that there is a universal manifestation, the result of the action of Spirit through law, which universal manifestation is called creation. To each individual this universal Spirit, which is the parent mind, is Father of all, and being personified through the individual, must, through his own nature be immediately accessible to him."

The list goes on...fathers, fathering and fatherhood. During Re-Discovery month, I want to tell you about a man, a father. Though he fathered two daughters, Elizabeth and Eliza, it is of another idea he seeded that I want to blog about today. His name was John Newton.

John Newton was born in 1725. He was nurtured by a Christian mother who taught him the Bible. At the age of 7,  John's mother died of tuberculosis and he was raised by his stern sea-captain father. By age 11, Newton went on his first of six sea-voyages with his father. It was a rough life with rough people, sailors and seamen being as many of them were. By 21, he was forcibly enlisted aboard the H.M.S. Harwich, but Newton rebelled against the discipline of the Royal Navy and deserted. He was soon caught, put in irons, and flogged. But eventually, he convinced his superiors to put him on a slaver ship. Anything to get our of prison. 

John Newton once described himself as "arrogant and insubordinate, living with moral abandon." He once said, "I sinned with a high hand and I made it my study to tempt and seduce others." Newton was 22 years old...wow, these millennials!

The slave ship was owned by a trader named Clow who had a lemon plantation on an island off W. Africa. Newton was treated cruelly and beaten by Clow and his African mistress, becoming ragged and having to beg for food. This went on for several years, finally he was transferred to the service of the captain of the Liverpudlian ship, the Greyhound. On its homeward journey, the ship was overtaken by an enormous storm. After thrashing about in the north Atlantic storm for over a week, its canvas sails were ripped and the wood on one side of the ship had been splintered or  torn way. The sailors had little hope of survival, but kept working the pumps, trying to keep the vessel afloat. On the eleventh day -imagine 11 days in a constant storm in the very chilly North Atlantic Ocean- after eleven days, Newton was too exhausted to pump. They crew decided to tie him to the helm, so he could keep the ship on course while they continued pumping the sea out of the hull. Newton was tied to the wheel, rain and wind blowing at his face, bludgeoning his body, for 12 hours. Twelve hours! Well, Johnny had a lot of time to think in those hours. His life seemed as ruined and wrecked as the battered ship he was trying to steer. He realized that, since the age of 11, he had lived a life at sea with a reputation for such profanity, coarseness and debauchery that he could make other sailors blush at his antics and behavior. In this contemplation, in the midst of the storm both at sea and in his soul, Newton remembered his mother teaching him a passage from Proverbs 1:24-31 ...

Because I have called and you refused, have stretched out my hand and you did not listen; have ignored all my counsel and were not pleased with my reproof...I also will laugh at your calamity and will rejoice when terror and destruction overtakes you; when your fear shows up as desolation and your destruction shows up as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you. Then you shall call upon me, but I will not answer; you will seek me diligently, but will not find me. Because you hated knowledge, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, you shall eat the fruit of your way, and be filled with the fruit of your beliefs.

Let's break this quote down, clarify a few things. First of all, the definition of reproof is admonishment, yes, but it is also, simply, answer. The Universe was saying, "Hey I let you know what was messed up in your life, put a bug in your ear now and then, counselled you, showed you the way, but you did not listen, you weren't please with my answer." Secondly, the passage talks about the Universe laughing and rejoicing at, in this case, Newton's calamity. We understand now that Divine Intelligence doesn't laugh like a human might laugh. The Universe assumes you enjoy or want the crap in your life; your belief is what is mirrored in your experience and until you tell it otherwise, positive or negative experiences will continue. That is the non-judgmental, unconditional love of Spirit. Newton's disconnect with love, peace, grace and wisdom, brought him hate, self-disgust and ignorance. And until he changed his thinking, with the feelings backing those thoughts into his perspectives and beliefs about himself, he undoubtedly imagined the Universe laughing and mocking him. It was his “woe is me” attitude, his self-disgust and, as well, his desire for a better personality, belief system and basic existence that was doing the actual mocking laugh. The Universe does not laugh or mock, but can seem that way as it answers in kind, from your beliefs into your experience. In fact, God's unconditional love can sometimes suck.

Newton waited, like many of us do, till he was in deep.... waters, inwardly and outwardly before he re-connected to Source. Like too many of us, too many times, in midst of the storm, the chaos, the depths of sorrow, the brink of death; Newton began to open his heart and awareness to his birthright, through the muck and mire of his life to reveal the Divinity within him.

Surviving the storm, his life was transformed. John began a disciplined spiritual practice that led him, at 39, to become an Ordained Christian Minister. He quickly became disgusted with the slave trade and his role in it, writing that it was "a business at which my heart now shudders," working with others to have it abolished as part of his Divine calling, though it took a couple of decades.

For the Sunday evening services, Newton often composed a hymn which helped develop the talk for that week. After a few years, 280 of them were collected and combined with 68 hymns by Newton's friend and parishioner, William Cowper, and published as the Olney Hymns. The most famous of the Olney Hymns was originally called "Faith's Review and Expectation." Not exactly a pithy song title. But, by a couple of hundred years later, it had been recorded by the likes of Diana Ross, Judy Collins, The Celtic Women, The Three Tenors, Alan Jackson, Stephen Tyler, Whitney, Elvis, Aretha, Mahalia, and many others. And it had been featured in several movies as diverse as TOMMY BOY, SILKWOOD and STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (the best ST film :))  It began like this:

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That sav’d a wretch like me!

Not usually a song you would think to hear in our philosophy, but it is. I have spoken at several spiritual centers that have that song in their service. It has quite a beautiful melody, yes? Now usually they change the word 'wretch' to 'a soul like me.' Understandable, I suppose; don't want to empower that word, 'wretch,' in our life. Yet, let's step back a moment and understand how and why Newton uses that word in the song; acknowledging the facts of his journey. Though the term wasn't used in his time, he avoided the proverbial 'spiritual bypass' and called it like it is; acknowledged his surrender to the Divine by openly admitting to the horrors of his beliefs and actions of the past. This is not a spiritual mind treatment or affirmative prayer. And though thoughts are things and our thoughts (words) are our prayers, this song is describing an evolution, a transcendence, a transformation. He is actually doing, through the dramatic movement of the lyrics, what Ernest Holmes taught us to do... turn away from the condition.

Let's be factual here; we may not use the word 'wretch,' (especially since it is not common in our vernacular at present) but we use other terms that evokes the same feelings as 'wretch':  unfortunate, unhappy, poor, despicable, loser, loafer, coward, failure, and any of the other 'woe is me,' lack and limitation, self-loathing words and phrases we say in our heads and out of our moths. In essence, we are saying, “I am....a wretch.”  So let's not sugarcoat this. But, at the same time, let's re-discover the true meaning of the word and its use in the song.  

We all have those moments when we feel like limitation and lack is rampant in our minds and life or feel hesitation or that time is against us or we feed on some sort of shame/blame/guilt trip. In those times, effective prayer doesn't always come easily; it is forced, feels whiny or dumb. When those thoughts show up, I believe we can use this song as an affirmation, a start to returning to an open calm heart, not in a whirling dervish of chaos and fear, desperation and hopelessness. We can use this "Amazing Grace" to step up, dig in and reboot our thoughts, feelings and, eventually, beliefs to reveal, illuminate, illustrate and demonstrate our Divine origin; allowing answers to arise and to not only know the Truth about ourselves, but live It. Then, as we see or sense the hints, the red flags, the Divine inspired moments in the Law's plan for the manifestation of our bettered, if not magnificent life, we can sit in gratitude. And gratitude, the acknowledgment of our greatest life being present, will inspire you to make the mental statements and declarations that serve you and reveal the passion and fire within your heart for your greatest good over and over again. We can transform any chaotic fire, dis-ease fire, disappointment, anger, hate or lack and limitation fire into the passionate flames of health, wealth, joyous creativity and loving, respectful, kind relationships.

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believed!

It's time to step up from knowing to believing, and father...and mother...a life that is fabulous, loving, prosperous, happy, full of vibrancy and vitality. Let's do it together, let's do it now....allow yourself to be amazed by your grace! 

Affirmation
Divine Right Action flows through me freely and passionately!
Stepping into the fiery passion of my heart, I gracefully finesse anything and everything with integrity, gratitude and love.

THAT PRAYER

Imagine a person, deep in a meditative moment, 

begins to to pray. We shall call that person 

'The Prayer', as in one who prays (pray-er). 

The gender doesn't matter here, 

the action and thoughts do, though. 

"The Voice" is that of whatever you call 
the Divine Power...

The Prayer:  "Our Father which art in heaven."

The Voice:  Yes?

The Prayer:  Don't interrupt me. I'm praying
The Voice:  But you called me!

The I didn't call anybody. I'm praying. "Our father which art in heaven."

The Voice:  There, you did it again. 

The Prayer:  Did what?
The Voice:  Called me. I don't know about the Father part, whatever floats your boat, but here I am...that I AM (a giggle). What's on your mind?

The Prayer:  You don't sound like a father.
The Voice:  Let's not get into a gender discussion, here. You want to unify with the Universe or not?

The Prayer:  I was just saying my daily prayers. I thought the Lord's Prayer might be a nice change of pace to do the deed.
The Voice:  Do the deed.? All right. If you say so...go on.

The Prayer:  "Hallowed be thy name."
The Voice:   Hold it. What do you mean by that?

The Prayer:  By what?
The Voice:  By "Hallowed be thy name?"

The Prayer:  I don't know what it means. It's just a part of the prayer. "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."
The Voice:  Do you really mean that?

The Prayer:  What?
The Voice:  What you just said.

The Prayer:  Sure, why not?
The Voice:  What are you doing about it?

The Prayer:  I just think it would be kind of great if you got control of everything down here like you have up there.
The Voice:  Up there, down here, what are you talking about? Never mind. Have you listened to yourself when you're not, as you say, praying?

The Prayer:  I go to church.
The Voice:  That isn't what I asked you. What about your self-talk, the woe is me attitude or the lack and limitation issues you have sometimes? And what about the kinds of books you read and what you watch on TV; what you feed your mind with, my friend?

The Prayer:  Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as the rest of those church people.
The Voice:  It's not a competition. And, excuse me, I thought you were calling on me to connect with, and reveal better experiences into your life.

The Prayer:  All right, all right. I guess I have a couple of hang-ups.
The Voice:  Uh-huh.

The Prayer:  Hadn't thought about it very much before, but I guess I'd really like to get free of some of those things.
The Voice:  Good. Now we're getting somewhere. We'll work together. You just know the what and I'll take care of the how.

The Prayer:  Okay, great, but look...ma'am
The Voice:  Not necessary.

The Prayer:  What?
The Voice:  the ma'am

The Prayer:  Oh, sorry...Presence, Essence, Divine Intelligence?
The Voice:  Whatever...

The Prayer:  Look, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than usual. "Give us this day our daily bread."
The Voice:  You could cut out the bread. It would help you drop a few pounds. 

The Prayer:  What is this, criticize Jay day? Here I was doing my religious duty and all of a sudden you break in to remind me of my hang-ups.
The Voice:  Praying can be a dangerous thing, Jay. You could wind up changed, you know. That's what I'm trying to get across to you. Keep praying. I'm interested in the next part of your prayer.(Pause) Well, go on.

The Prayer:  I'm scared to.
The Voice:  Scared? Of what?

The Prayer:  I know what you'll say.
The Voice:  Try me and see.

The Prayer:  "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us."
The Voice:  Talking about missing the mark on your neighbor? What's all this between you and her?

The Prayer:  See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! She's told lies about me, spread stories about my family. She never paid back the money she owes me. I've sworn to get even with her.
The Voice:  Wow, great plan. But this prayer? What about your prayer?

The Prayer:  I didn't mean it as far as she goes.
The Voice:  Ahhh, well, at least you're honest. But it's not much fun carrying that load of bitterness around inside, is it?

The Prayer:  No, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even. Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she never moved into the neighborhood.
The Voice:  You won't feel any better...you'll feel even worse. Revenge isn't sweet, Jay. And destructive thinking?!? You think you're unhappy now...

The Prayer:  What do you mean?
The Voice:  Forgive your neighbor. Then forgive yourself. Then the hate will be her problem and not yours. You will have settled your heart.

The Prayer:  Oh wow, you're right. You're always right. Okay, I guess I can forgive her. She's bound to be awfully miserable, considering the way she acts.
The Voice:  Wonderful! Doesn't that feel great?

The Prayer:  Yeah, not bad, not bad at all. I feel pretty great, actually... don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight. Maybe I won't be so tired in the morning.
The Voice:  Good on you. Are you through with your prayers?

The Prayer:  No, wait ...."And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
The Voice:  Okay, okay, the Law can do that ... guide you. But you have to listen to your intuition. And we'll save the “there's really no such thing called 'evil'” talk for another day. Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted.

The Prayer:  What do you mean by that?
The Voice:  Don't turn on the TV when you know the laundry needs to be done or something like that. When you spend time with your friends, if you find yourself always complaining and whining or you can't influence the conversation to positive things, perhaps you should re-think the value of your thinking and maybe those friendships, as well. And another thing, your neighbors and friends should not be your standard for "keeping up." Stop with the “keeping up” already. And please don't use me as an escape hatch.

The Prayer:  What? I don't understand that last part.
The Voice:  Sure you do, you've done it lots of times. You get caught in a bad situation, you get in trouble and you do the “I guess it's the inevitable consequence of my beliefs,” thing. Which is true, but then you don't change your thinking. You kind of blame it on the Universe as an excuse for your beliefs. And then you get into the beseeching habit again: "Lord, help me out of this mess, and I promise I'll never do it again. Please, please, please Lord!" You know I hear you, don't ya? I can have compassion, but, come on, what do you want from me? It doesn't work that way ... change your thinking, change your beliefs and your life will be changed. It doesn't work with mamby-pamby, whiney praying.

The Prayer:  Wow, jeez, I'm ashamed.
The Voice:  Oi, come on...shame, blame, guilt? Don't waste time with all that. Just do the mental work, I'll take care of the rest.

The Prayer:  Sorry, sorry; I thought that if I just prayed the Lord's Prayer every day, then I could do what I liked.
The Voice:  Really...really? Well, go ahead and finish your prayer.

The Prayer:  "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen"
The Voice:   Do you know what would bring some glory here?

The Prayer:  No, but I bet you'll tell me. Look, I can see what a mess I've made of my life. And I can see how great it would be to really believe in my power and to trust my heart and gut, and speak my word with love and wisdom; knowing that the Universe...you...will make it happen.
The Voice:  You just answered the question.

The Prayer:  I did?
The Voice:  Yes. That is the kind of thinking that would bring glorious experiences into your life. 

The Prayer:  Really? ...that's what I hear at New Thought Spiritual Center every week. It's confirmed, then. Now that some of my old missteps are exposed and out of the way, there's no telling what we can do together, eh Universe.
The Voice:  Yes. Yes. Now you get it, Jay.

The Prayer:  Hallelujah!
The Voice:  That was last week. Oh and Jay...your mission today... is to work on that prayer translation. Not very accurate. Let's do a little re-discovery of the Lord's Prayer.

The Prayer:  You got it. And so it is. 

The Voice:  And so it is...God out.

A couple thousand years ago, this nice Jewish boy, Yeshua, stood on the top of a hill, a mount, you might say, and gave a talk on how to pray. And that lesson has carried through over these millennia. One part of the sermon, you might say, was his lesson on how to pray.

Today, I want to talk about prayer, this specific prayer. Today I want to re-discover what is called "The Lord's Prayer."

I want to first talk about the word, "prayer." It is, from the Aramaic, slotha, which means to trap, to capture, to be receptive to or attuned with. It is the act of intentionally trapping within that which is actually already captured within, be receptive to or in tune with the Presence, Intelligence, Love, and Light that It is; that God, the Divine, Spirit or whatever you want to call that Creative Power is and reveal It's wisdom. Prayer is like a radio dial, tuning to the frequency of Divine Spirit

This Lord's Prayer was a Gospel in itself. The word "gospel," like the Lord's Prayer has been widely mistranslated using the Hebrew or Greek and without cultural or vernacular consideration of the times. Gospel is actually translated from the Aramaic as "a joyous word."

Here's a few translation mistakes you might have said or heard from parts of The Lord's Prayer:

"Give us this steak and daily bread, and forgive us our mattresses."

"Our Father, who art in Heaven, how didja know my name?"

"Give us this day our jelly bread."

"Did you ever wonder who "Howard" was? "Our Father, who art in Heaven. Howard be your name..."

These usual childhood mistakes aren't any far off than the meaning this prayer has been given by its sometimes poor translations and interpretations.

Most think the prayer goes something similar to this:

What Yeshua really said as he stood atop the mount, was:

Ahhwoon dwashmaya

Nith-kadash Shmakh

Teh-they Malkuthakh

Nechway Sayweeyanahkh Akanna Dwashmaya ahp bar-ah

Hawlan lahma dsunkanan yaumana

Washwok-lan haubain akana dap hnan shwaqan l'hayawein

Wla ta-alan l'nisyona ella pasan min beesha

Mitol ddeelakhee malkutha whaila wtishbohta la-alem almeen Amen

Let's it break it down, re-discover its translation and meaning, and check out some similarities between it and Spiritual Mind Treatment or other forms of affirmative prayer. As a point of information, I have used the translations from the Aramaic made by Dr. Rocco Errico, a student of Dr. George Lamsa, both experts in the language, vernacular and culture of the times and people who spoke Aramaic over 2000 years ago.

In the usual translation, the prayer begins, "Our Father, who art in Heaven." In Aramaic, Yeshua said, "Ahwoon dwashmaya." Ahwoon is a word that doesn't mean a male figure as much as what a fatherly figure represents...a beloved parent. Ahwoon is that which is approachable, someone with whom you have kinship, a loving and wise power in your life...like a beloved parent. The Prayer starts by recognizing "our beloved parent." Finishing this first section is the word, "dwashmaya," which may translate to the word "Heaven," but it is not about a destination, but that which is everywhere, like the Universe. Yeshua's upbringing has no belief in a place called Heaven, nor, too, a place called Hell. It is a state of mind and, deeper still, a state of Being. So we are basically calling on and recognizing the singular energy which created all and is All...our Universal parent...the great I Am.

We continue usually with, "Hallowed be thy name," which in the original tongue was "Nith-kadash Shmakh." Now kadash translates to holy, yes, but it also means distinct, dedicated, or sanctified. And Shmakh translates to "is It's name." It's name, not he or she or they or them...It. So in the second section we are identifying and calling on the Perfect, Whole and Complete Goodness of the Creative Presence that is distinct of all else and is a sanctified and dedicated power.

Then, in the third section which is familiar as "Thy Kingdom come," we find some distinct translation differences. "Teh-they Malkuthakh" is the what was said on the Mount. "Teh-they" is not so much similar to the word "come," as in show up, but reveal, turn to or think and act as It. It is an intentional act of  unification with that beloved parent, "Let me reveal your wisdom in my life right here and right now." And "Malkuthakh" can be translated as kingdom, but not in the sense of the rest us being the little folk in a place ruled by a King, but as a "Divine Counsel" or adviser, the smartest of smarts or wisest of wise. Reveal your wise counsel to me!

Fourthly, as we might usually state, "Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, " we see the Aramaic, "Nechway Sayweeyanahkh Akanna Dwashmaya ahp bar-ah," translate closest to the following:  Nechway Sayweeyanahkh is "Let it be your will," but not like something forced or commanded, more like a desire, delight, or pleasure; like a good parent would instruct or offer as wise counsel. And "Akanna Dwashmaya," relates to "as it is in the Universe." Again, not so much  Heaven as a place to go or live, but as a state of being to be in. We are tuning in to or unifying ourselves with this loving force, an energy, a beloved parent which is everywhere in the Universe and, which is, as well, "ahp bar-ah," "so too, on the Earth."

As we step into the fifth section of that prayer, Yeshua instructs us to reveal and declare certain things through the beloved parent. The "Give us this day our daily bread" section; in the Aramaic is Hawlan lakhma dsunkanan yaumana. "Hawlan lakhma" does mean to provide us bread, but when you go deeper into the vernacular of the time, you understand that "Lakhma," though it does mean the word "bread," wasn't just about the food item or even material things in general, it, most importantly, represented the Truth of ourselves as children of this beloved parent; the inspiration we receive in every thought and action when we connect with this Divine Counsel, the spiritual, as well as, the emotional and physical food. It is what we require from It, "dsunkanan yaumana," for our needs day to day. So, we are declaring and revealing It to provide us everyday with that which not only feeds our body temple, but our soul.

Which leads us to the sixth section, usually translated as "And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." Washwok-lan haubain akana dap hnan shwaqan l'hayawein is best read as "And free us from our offenses and mistakes, even as we have freed our offenders."  We sometimes offend the perfection that the Divine created. But we are not pleading to have the Universe forgive us. It, our beloved parent, does not condemn. It is a releasing of any shame/blame/guilt and invoking a self-forgiveness from the burden and bondage of any and all judgments. This what we reveal, this is what we declare from the Divine Counsel.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" is the seventh part of that prayer. In Aramaic, it is "Wla ta-alan l'nisyona ella pasan min beesha."  Nisyona means temptation or trials, like materialism, addiction or other such missteps. Beesha is not about evil as in an entity (Devil, etc.); as there is only one power in the Universe, but more like mistakes that we make.  And "pasan" is not a request to deliver, but a claim of separation or being parted from these mistakes and/or the troublemakers who encourage such things; people we allow into our lives, our heads, our hearts or our actions. In essence, we are telling the Law to keep us from any thoughts or feelings of lack or limitation, dis-ease, etc. from our minds and hearts and any people who may lead us to such mistakes.

As we complete the Lord's Prayer, commonly with "For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever...Amen" or "Mitol ddeelakhee malkutha whaila wtishbo(c)hta la-alem almeen Amen," we begin the ending of the prayer with a re-call, "Mitol ddeelakhee malkutha," Your Divine Counsel. After that, Yeshua said, "whaila wtishbohta," meaning "that power and glory in song," another description of our beloved parent and the prayer that intentionally called It for connection and communion. This final section continues with "la-alem almeen," meaning "from ages to ages," So we recall the Divine Counsel which is a powerful and glorious song (prayer) and end this recall with "Amen." Now Amen has a translation, which is like "and so it is." But it is more than that. Going deeper still, it is closest in feeling and meaning to this prayer, this treatment of the mind as being "faithfully sealed." I faithfully seal this message with my most sincere heart and soul...my life. Yeshusa was reminding us that prayer isn't an act of beseeching, it is an intentional communion with the Divine parent in us all; that which is within all things, powerful and loving, ready and willing to reveal the Truth when forgotten, give wise Divine Counsel when needed, and invoke It's creative force, when declared, to rid us of all mistakes and missteps, and the thoughts and beliefs that do not serve our greatest good and the gift of this life given to us by the Divine. It is the most basic and possibly the most powerful treatment of our mind and heart, moving the energy of power, love and abundant prosperous grace into our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and experience.

It is time we re-discover and reclaim the song of praise Yeshua spoke of on that hill, over 2000 years ago. It is time to dig deeper into its meaning and what he was telling his followers to treat their minds and hearts with. Spending much time with this prayer and the translations from the Aramaic, here now is my translation and interpretation of The Lord's Prayer:

Our beloved parent, Mother-Father-Mind, which is everywhere in the Universe. That which is the pure, indestructible, omniscient, omnipresent, all-knowing, and all-loving power; the singular energy which created all and is All, quenching the thirst for life in all...

the great I Am.

I take this moment to call upon and reveal your Divine Counsel and unify with It's beauty, power, light, joy, peace, understanding and wisdom.

Let it be your wish and desire on this planet, as it is in the Universe, to flow into my consciousness, like the movement of the celestial bodies in the cosmos; filling my life with your blessing of love, health, harmony, and prosperity. I now intentionally receive 
those blessings and acknowledge my Good.

Provide me bread, the meals which my soul feeds from day to day. For you are the source and substance which nourishes my body temple and my mind, brings abundance into my pocket, Light into my heart, and joy into my experiences. Your power and love surrounds me with the kindness, respect and compassion of others, and the knowledge of Truth and the understanding of who I am.

Empower me to forgive all my offenses and mistakes, as I forgive any and all who has offended me; untying, releasing and setting me free from the burden 

and bondage of anyone and anything that I believe has done me wrong; and canceling those things in my mind and my heart, forgiving myself and removing 

all judgment in my life.

And do not let me enter into any temptation that separates me from my best life and the perfection of your creation. Yet, separate me from any mistakes and troublemakers entering my life. Keep me from any thoughts or feelings of lack or limitation, dis-ease or despair, narcissism or entitlement, addiction, selfishness or fear and anyone who may lead me

to such actions and beliefs.

For I know your Divine Counsel, power and energy, which has come forth in songs and praises throughout all the ages, now lovingly guides and inspires me, through It's indwelling presence, to speak my word, which I now faithfully seal and release, backed by my belief in and gratitude for its fulfillment; right here and right now. 

I am powerful and I am blessed! 

And so it is.

Use this when you don't know what to say or what your saying sounds like b.s. That happens to me now and then. I can't quite get the feeling right or the words don't inspire me or my affirmative prayer just doesn't come out convincingly. This is how I regroup. This is how I center myself. This is how I flip the factory settings switch, reboot and restart. In my re-discovery of that prayer, I have found that it is not just the Lord's Prayer, but is the Namaste Prayer, the Christ Consciousness Prayer. It is the Truth Prayer. Enjoy it, be blessed by and empowered with it and through it. It is your Prayer. It is my Prayer.

Affirmation For The Week
Whenever I speak my word, I am inspired. Wherever I speak my word, I am unified with Spirit. However I speak my word, I speak from the heart, revealing and declaring my magnificent life. Forever, when my word is spoken, it is with gratitude, knowing I am heard by a Universe that always says "YES." My life is good...yes, it is very good!