I became aware of what I call the “last thanksgiving.” I saw the last thanksgiving as a first Thanksgiving blessing in the Spirit before the incarnation of each Soul into the world. From that view, we could see how every experience in the psychic-material existence always contributes. It was like seeing the original cornucopia as an unlimited source of the harvest coming from the Divine. There was complete understanding that all works toward good, ever greater good, becoming complete good. The view was like seeing across a magnificent lush landscape full of natural diversity as though every living thing was in full bloom and beautifully vibrant. This is our true home.

The simple meaning of this view was to realize that even though the world would appear as lacking and disturbed, including our own reflection, in truth, an eternal living truth, we are always welcome in our original home. And just because we forget, no matter how long we forget, we can always remember our home whenever we choose. Part of the way to remember our home is to give thanks—even in the simple words “thank you,” which is a prayer that takes us home again. So every time we notice something good, our thanks become a prayer that takes us home again. The more we give thanks, the more we connect to the outpouring of greater good coming from our home and “God shedding His grace upon thee.”

I also realized that when others notice something good and share that with me, I often respond with, “Thank you,” which may sound as though I’m taking credit as the creator. God wants us to acknowledge ourselves as co-creators, and so we are encouraged to be thankful and acknowledge the grace present whenever we notice something is good. Once we give thanks for all, then we are in the first and last thanksgiving, the one that includes all and is everlasting.

Baruch Bashan

A little over a month ago, Jean had surgery to replace a ruptured mitral valve.  So our Friday seminar time was interrupted while she was hospitalized. Even so, I visited Jean each Friday afternoon and shared that special time with her as best I could.

A couple of weeks ago, Jean moved to a rehabilitation center to continue her recovery.  I’ve continued to visit on Fridays, bringing salads as well as other goodies.  Since Jean needs to regain the more than ten pounds she’s lost, I’ve enjoyed supplying Jean with a stash of delectable pastries that she otherwise would not consider consuming.  She often hides her goodies in a drawer near her bed, happily indulging in them late at night when she finds herself awake and hungry.

This past Friday afternoon around 3:00 pm, I brought lunch to Jean along with a box of muffins, breads and other goodies she’d requested.  Jean’s roommate had gone home, and we had the room to ourselves.  Jean wasn’t hungry as she had just eaten lunch.  So she set her goodies aside and we chatted for awhile.  Jean mentioned how grateful she is for her MSIA family (yours truly being blessed to be one of them) as this time of physical challenge has been painful and trying for her.

“Speaking of MSIA family,” I said, “It just so happens that John Morton is scheduled to speak on an internet radio show, right about now.  I don’t know if my cell phone can receive it, but would you like me to try?”

“Of course!” Jean said.

In Spirit’s perfect ways and perfect timing, I connected easily to Awakenings, an internet radio talk show.  To our delight, John Morton was just about to come on the air.  The host, Michele Meiche, introduced John. Then Jean and I enjoyed 90 minutes of John sharing his loving, wise messages, humor and anecdotes about spirit, loving, finding peace within ourselves, and knowing the blessings that we already are.

Since Jean is hard of hearing, I turned up the volume on my cell phone as high as I could and shut the door to the hallway so we wouldn’t be interrupted.  Still, Jean could only hear John’s voice if the phone was right next to her ear.  So I told her to lie down and rest her head on her pillow.  I set the phone on her shoulder, like a baby nuzzling her neck, and she nestled herself in comfortably, soothed by John’s voice right next to her ear.  I pulled up a chair and sat next to Jean by her bedside.  We listened together for the entire interview, lulled by the sweetness and comfort of John’s loving messages of inspiration.

At one point during the interview, I noticed Jean had drifted off.  Her breathing was steady and deep, and she had the most peaceful glow on her face, something I hadn’t seen since before she had become ill.  As John continued to share the teachings of MSIA and answer questions from the host and listeners, Jean drifted in and out, smiling throughout.  I did too.

As the interview came to a close, Jean stretched and shared how much she appreciated the loving comfort of what felt like an MSIA home seminar to both of us.  She then began to indulge in some of the goodies I’d brought, noting how her appetite had been sparked once again.  We shared with each other our gratitude for the synchronicity and wondrous gift of having John’s interview scheduled during our weekly time together and choosing to take the gift presented to us and “tune in.”  Then, while we basked in the afterglow of a palpable peacefulness, a new roommate arrived, wheeled in on a gurney by medical attendants.  The woman seemed disoriented from her ride from the hospital, but quickly settled in and relaxed, probably touched and soothed by the powerful sweetness that now filled the room.

Thank you, John, for serving us in this precious and profoundly helpful way.  As you shared with us in your interview, it’s wonderful to know we can “tune in” to the Spirit by going within anytime we choose. It’s also wonderful to know we can tune in to your words of wisdom and loving guidance by listening to the archive of this terrific interview anytime we choose.

Baruch Bashan

Terilee Wunderman

There is a purpose in the way the world has been created that is serving your soul. There is a purpose in the way you have been created exactly. There are no mistakes. All the conditions in your life are on purpose because they are of God and loved unconditionally.

The true nature of loving is unconditional. How far does “unconditional” go? It is infinite. That means your ability to be loving towards yourself is infinite. God’s love for you is infinite and unconditional. Come into the truth and rejoice in the truth of who you are as a loving soul, beloved of God.

Baruch Bashan

       As you start the day, first surround and fill yourself with Light and love. You can do this as a prayer to God, an invocation of the Light, or through your creative imagination. Then, extend the Light into your day as you see yourself moving forward in the world. During the day, remember that the Light goes before you and prepares the way. All the things that come forward in your day, expected or unexpected, wanted or unwanted, are part of that Light action which is always present within you.

Baruch Bashan

     People often ask me how they can love themselves unconditionally, regardless of what they have done or how they think or feel.  When we realize our spiritual nature, we have a better way of looking at what we do as human beings.  By remembering who we are spiritually, we can more easily be loving and accepting towards ourselves and all that comes forward in our lives.  So, I suggest that as we start out and complete with each day, we take the opportunity to engage ourselves inwardly in the Spirit first. 
     When we choose to realize ourselves spiritually, we find ourselves functioning according to the laws of Spirit — acceptance, cooperation, understanding, enthusiasm and empathy.  There is an aligning of how we are intending ourselves spiritually, as souls who are one with God.  A key is to appreciate with gratitude whatever comes your way.  Everything has value. Nothing needs to be different from what it is, including you.  Yet, in this world, change is constant.  While living in the world and coping with change may be challenging, you can learn to align with and practice how to apply the laws of Spirit and love it all.

This book can assist you in a number of ways.  You can read it from start to finish as you may find clarification, direction or inspiration at any point.  You might be grappling with a challenge in a certain area of your life, turn to a related section in the book, and gain value.  Or you could simply open to any page and see what message it may hold for you.  However you use this book, the real key is just that: to use it. Check it out and see if it helps you discover just how life is filled with blessings and, in fact, you are the blessings. (from You Are the Blessings)

Visit the MSIA Store.  

Cost $15.00.  No shipping charges.

John Morton will facilitate, health and schedule permitting.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Diana Plaza Hotel, 12 Annerley Road, Woolloongabba (suburb of Brisbane)

7:30 pm – 10:30 pm, ending time approximate

Cost $25AUD

Open to All

For further information and to complete an ONLINE registration form, visit www.msia.org.au.

Click on “Event Calendar” then on the relevant event link.

We would love to hear your stories of how blessings have manifested in your life.

Please click here to email us with your blessings story to be considered for posting on TheBlessings.org.  Include your Name or Initials and your Location - City and Country.

We look forward to hearing from you! 

Click here to read Blessings Stories from other readers.

Have you ever had a moment when you realized that everything in your life is a blessing? Even the most challenging situations are blessings too?   Have you ever considered that you are the blessings in your challenges?  
 
Everything in our lives is presented to us in some way as a blessing, including the nature of ourselves. When we choose to love, accept, and cooperate with whatever is presented to us, then we are relating to everything as blessings.  

What is a blessing? For me, blessings mean greater good.  Goodness already exists within you and me, in everyone, and in the world around us.  Goodness is a given.  It is who we are.  
 
Along with the goodness present now is greater good yet to become.  So we always have an opportunity to realize the greater good, to realize the blessings that already are. It can be a turning point in your life when you decide, “My life is going to be about the greater good, about finding the blessings.” It’s simply a matter of how you choose to look at each situation and yourself.
 
I refer to ten blessings identified by John-Roger, D.S.S. — loving, caring, sharing, health, wealth, happiness, prosperity, abundance, riches and touching.  All these blessings, every single one and many more that relate to them, are present all the time. As we become more aware of the blessings, we then allow the blessings to manifest.  That’s because the source of the blessings is always present.  
 
It doesn’t matter to me what you call your source.  You can call it God, Holy Spirit, Higher Power, Inner Master or whatever you like.  The source of the blessings is an eternally loving presence within you that goes by all kinds of names.  It breathes with you and walks with you.  It already knows all about you and loves and adores you as you are.  Everyone has this eternally loving source within them, including you.
 
You can realize the blessings when you accept, enjoy, and appreciate all the conditions in your life as somehow part of the great perfection on your path of awareness of who you truly are.  So it’s up to each one of us to choose.  It’s our choice to become more aware of the blessings that come from that loving source.  
 
By accepting that the conditions in my life right now are perfect for me, I am choosing to trust that the blessings already are.  Rather than thinking, “Oh, I made a big mistake,” or “This cannot be on my path,” or “This cannot be a blessing,” I see each experience as adding to me and my learning and growth.  So I choose to accept that everything in my life is presented to me from my source for my greater good.
 
I’m not saying you have to like everything that you experience.  I don’t like everything I experience. However, I’m suggesting that no matter what happens, something in each experience has value and often great value for us, more than we might first consider.  So I encourage you not to draw your first conclusion about a situation or challenge.  Be open as much as you can. The greater blessings are often something that we don’t initially see.
 
When I see challenges in this world that appear to defy the greater good or deny the blessings, I consider they are just ways of testing us to see if we will trust even more than we already have.  At times, choosing the blessings can take tremendous courage, clarity and conviction.  We may be called upon to be patient and endure more than we imagined we could.  When we do, we can then discover our strength more fully and completely.  We can find a greater love than we knew possible.  With confidence and trust, we can then look to every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow and know our goodness even more.  
 
Whenever a challenge is presented to us so we can choose to learn to be more loving and caring, to be more accepting and compassionate, to forgive more fully and completely. Perhaps we are simply learning to know we are the blessings, the ones already present regardless of conditions and the ones coming forward as we are patient and enduring with looking for the blessings.  
 
How do we find the blessings?  Through our trust in that eternally loving source by staying open to seeing the greater good.  So when we are faced with any challenge, we can ask within to realize and be more aware of the blessings.  In my experience, when I ask my source to help me understand and realize what is for the greater good, I am shown the blessings.
 
I find that the deepest, most meaningful aspects of my life are ones that may first appear to be ordinary and inconsequential. Maybe I realize what a blessing it is to have shoes on my feet and clothes on my back.  Perhaps I’m aware that I have people who I care about and who care about me.   Sometimes it’s as simple and as vital as, “I’m alive. I’m breathing.  I’m here.”
 
The blessings already are, so take this moment to look for the good and seek the greater good yet to become.