The RevJerryTroyer's Podcast

Risky Invitations

In the wonderful book, A New Way to Be Human, Robert V. Taylor writes about “risky invitations.”  He says, “Risky invitations interrupt the imagined or assumed course of your life, raising the stakes right where you struggle the most.  Responding to these invitations takes you beyond your comfort zone, inviting transformation and an enlarged understanding of yourself, others, and the Holy.  The perceived risk compared to what you imagine to be certain may tempt you to decline the invitation.  Don’t say no just yet!”

What risky invitations are in my life today?  The invitations, appearing as divine discontent or an idea from my imagination reminding that I don’t have to do this anymore (whatever this is, if it does not bring me joy), might be to finally change my story about a past experience, or forgive, or stop settling.

It might also be about releasing excuses for “playing small” in my financial life, my relationships, or other areas of my life.

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Releasing In Order To Receive

If you were with me on Sunday, you know that I referred to Catherine Ponder’s wonderful book Open Your Mind to Receive. In it, she talks about the need to release our current good (whether our current good looks good to us or not) so our greater good can arrive.

Sometimes that requires releasing the limiting belief that our good has to arrive looking a certain way, or through a certain channel. How often do we experience unexpected income (in the form of a check, or a dinner out, or whatever) when we least expect it.

Sometimes that requires releasing the conflict. A dear friend of mine had a situation with a former employer, in that his Unemployment Benefits were declined. He went to attend the hearing, and was met by his former boss’ boss. In a moment of Divine inspiration, he chose to release her (and told her so), and the entire situation, by not pursuing the claim further.

The very next day he was offered the perfect right job that will allow him to use his creativity and feed his soul.

I love Catherine Ponder’s wonderful affirmation: “I let go of everything and everybody that is no longer part of the divine plan of my life. I now expand quickly into the divine plan of my life, where all conditions are permanently perfect.”

What is the divine plan of your life? That you express and experience the allness of Spirit—whole, complete and perfect in abundance, health and relationships.

Who or what will you release today?

Re-finding Our Smile

In this teaching we call Religious Science or New Thought, we spend a lot of time on very serious business like goals, dreams, forgiveness, our relationship with Spirit, etc. And all that is important. But I believe that sometimes we postpone our experience of joy and happiness until….

As soon as I reach that goal, as soon as that whatever manifests for me, as soon as…. We stay focused on our goal (someone said our “eyes on the prize”), which is good. But when we do, there is the possibility that we are missing out on the happiness of the moment.

We are mature and responsible and orderly and serious. Breakfast food is for breakfast. You don’t wear blue and green together.

But what if we stirred it up a little and broke some rules? What happens when we do that? More often than not, it makes us smile.

Just about everyone I know has a storage compartment someplace. Or two or three. And if not, their garage looks like an Oklahoma windstorm went through. We have all the stuff, so why aren’t we happy?

Maybe because we don’t allow ourselves to be.

Production Or Pipeline

If you were with me last Sunday, you remember I talked about our responsibility in our affirmative prayer (Spiritual Mind treatment). We pray affirmatively, rather than begging, beseeching and hoping for the best, because Jesus said, “Anything you pray for and ask, believe that you will receive it, and it will be done for you.”

After we say “amen” (or “and so it is”), what do we do? Do our minds remind us of all the reasons why whatever it is couldn’t possibly happen for us? Do we help God (Spirit, the Universe, our Higher Power) by running down the list of the ways that our good could come to us, thereby limiting the possibilities? Do we take responsibility for the creation of whatever it is, or do we just work to clear the pipeline so it can come?

Practicing Restraint

"A Course in Miracles" talks about the holy instant.  It is that moment right after someone says something, or something happens, or we have a thought.  Will we react or respond, and if so, how?  Does the thought scare us, and will we decide to run with (thereby creating whatever it is), or do we just allow it to flow right on through?

Our "power" for March is Strength.  Our perception of strength may be pushing, shoving, overpowering force.  But strength is also expressed in practicing restraint--in taking that holy instant and deciding what is true for us and what is not, rather than just reacting from ego, fear, resentment--like we always have.

One Way Ticket To Heaven

In the New Testament, Jesus said that "the kingdom of heaven is within you." Not something far off, not something we need to wait for. So how do we experience heaven? By accepting prosperity in every area of our lives--in our finances, as well as our health, relationships and day to day life.

Not What I Wanted But Just What I Needed

Last Monday, October 13, we celebrated, or at least acknowledged, Christopher Columbus.

Excluding any editorial comment about old Chris and his treatment of the "Indians" (who really were Native Americans--remember, he thought he was in Asia), one has to admit that his experience was pretty amazing.  No maps, really no "knowledge" of where he was going, he set out and, as you know, found the Americas.

He didn't get what he wanted:  spices, riches and treasures from Asia.  But he got what he, and the rest of the world, needed:  horses, potatoes, tomatoes and corn.  His work there paved the way for wheat from Europe and the "Old World" to come to the "New World."

Do we allow the Infinite (God, Spirit, the Universe) to answer our prayer in ways that are quite possibly more wonderful than we could have imagined?  Or do we limit God to how it could be v how it couldn't possibly be?

My Christmas List

Recently I heard someone remark that Christmas is just for children. I believe that to be nonsense, although I do agree that often children get much more out of the holiday than the rest of us. After all, children have no trouble asking for what they want.

When was the last time that us "grown-ups" made our list? And even if we did, what did we feel about it? Too much? Selfish?

In the New Testament, Jesus reminded us to "ask...seek...knock." He did not say anything about limitation. He said "it is done unto you..." Because we know Spirit (God, the Universe, our Higher Power) always responds to us as we can believe, we can ask, and expect. Click on the link below to listen to my message from December 12. And Merry Christmas!

My Brother's Boat

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.”--Martin Luther King, Jr., from the “I Have A Dream” speech.

This quote really touched me, and I find it to be so appropriate in 2011. We might remove "former slaves" and "former slave owners," and add Democrats and Republicans, gays and straights, liberals and conservatives, Religious Scientists and Catholics.

The truth is that we are all in this together, all with the same ultimate goal of a safe, secure, abundant life. But we don't do it by ourselves. There is a Hindu proverb that states, "when you help your brother's boat across, your own will reach the shore." Click on the link below to hear my Sunday talk from last week on this subject.