Metaphysics Course

This blog has essays from the Metaphysics Courses offered through the Universal Life Church. We have a variety of courses that are available in the area of metaphysics.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Spiritual Awareness

Doctor of Spiritual Awareness Final Essay
By Rev. Patricia Buben

Much of this class is organized around the fact that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.  It goes on to discuss definitions of spirit.  To me, spirit is the breath of life—the essence of a person.  It can also be described as being both immortal and intelligent energy.  As spirits, we go through lifetimes (reincarnate) to learn life lessons.  We continue to reincarnate as we have lessons to learn and when we have learned them all, we become ascended masters.  An ascended master is one who evolves to pure spirit.


The concepts of spirituality are easy and must be lived on a daily basis to become valuable.  There are many elements of spirituality that are discussed and all have aspects that are needed to develop spiritually.  The ones I liked best are:
·                 Having heart or being compassionate
·                 Understanding how karma works
·                 Learning to use your intuition
·                 Reincarnation – how it works and why
·                 Being of service to others
·                 Understanding death as a natural transition
·                 Evolution of the earth – coming earth changes
·                 Practicing meditation and several meditative techniques
·        Understanding energy and using it for healing
·                 Perceiving good and evil
·                 Knowing thyself or "Gnothi Seauton"
·                 Learning how to see auras
·        Developing your psychic abilities
·          Being able to develop self-love
·                 Unconditional love for others
·                 Learning to work with your spirit guides
Most of the concepts are very familiar to me and I have studied these concepts through research and reading a variety of books.  This course is unique in that it contains so many spiritual concepts in one place.  I especially enjoyed the different meditations and learning to work with my spirit guides.  In summary, I would highly recommend this course as it is clear, concise and all-encompassing.


********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar



Spiritual Awareness

Doctor of Spiritual Awareness Final Essay
By Rev. Patricia Buben

Much of this class is organized around the fact that we are spiritual beings having a human experience.  It goes on to discuss definitions of spirit.  To me, spirit is the breath of life—the essence of a person.  It can also be described as being both immortal and intelligent energy.  As spirits, we go through lifetimes (reincarnate) to learn life lessons.  We continue to reincarnate as we have lessons to learn and when we have learned them all, we become ascended masters.  An ascended master is one who evolves to pure spirit.


The concepts of spirituality are easy and must be lived on a daily basis to become valuable.  There are many elements of spirituality that are discussed and all have aspects that are needed to develop spiritually.  The ones I liked best are:
·                 Having heart or being compassionate
·                 Understanding how karma works
·                 Learning to use your intuition
·                 Reincarnation – how it works and why
·                 Being of service to others
·                 Understanding death as a natural transition
·                 Evolution of the earth – coming earth changes
·                 Practicing meditation and several meditative techniques
·        Understanding energy and using it for healing
·                 Perceiving good and evil
·                 Knowing thyself or "Gnothi Seauton"
·                 Learning how to see auras
·        Developing your psychic abilities
·          Being able to develop self-love
·                 Unconditional love for others
·                 Learning to work with your spirit guides
Most of the concepts are very familiar to me and I have studied these concepts through research and reading a variety of books.  This course is unique in that it contains so many spiritual concepts in one place.  I especially enjoyed the different meditations and learning to work with my spirit guides.  In summary, I would highly recommend this course as it is clear, concise and all-encompassing.


********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar



Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Spirit Quest

Spirit quest Final Essay Tools

To initiate this discussion of spiritual tools I am going to regress to a need for such an understanding. All of the things I am going to say here are postulation, my understanding to date, hence, quest, Spirit Quest. We start with an awakening of self-awareness; at this stage our understanding is stimulus and response. Next we move to social awareness, trade, getting along without merely grabbing and running or beating and taking.  During these first two stages we have started to recognize that we are able to manipulate the environment around us to our benefit this gives rise to physical tools and all manor of physical fabrication. In these earlier periods of growth we began to recognize that some things that we tried worked and others didn't, this gave rise to the concepts of right and wrong, the law and justice, the accumulation of knowledge, esthetics (the critique of taste and technique, that which is beautiful and pleasing or is not). While moving through this growth we began to see that there were and are forces that we don't understand or mystify us these forces that seem to control both cause and effect, acting on and in a medium undefined by our physical knowledge and reason. Is it an external agent or emanated from within or both for we both seem to be in control and the out of control. Spirit is intuited and recognized, but what is it and where is it?  The quest began as time went by we began to recognize that pretty much all of the above is true, it is both internal and external simultaneously, we are individual and a part of the whole in the broadest sense. We are both in and out of Control.

The Sages through the ages tell us faith and Grace is the key to this control, a topic for another conversation. Beyond faith and grace is the word (spoken or unspoken concept, imagination) and action (ritual) "actions speak louder than words". The word precedes action. So what does this have to do with Spirit, Control and tools? The tools are the outcome of generations of listening to the word and experiencing (including observing) the out come of the generated action. This may be a state of grace.
These statements direct us to the tools, which are to implement and explore the effect we as energetic facets of the whole, can exert as a change agent on our being experience. The tools embody the word and its conversion to experience, i.e. Matter. Some of these tools include:

·        Goals, direction and focus.
·        Forgiveness, the release of previous burdens to explore new possibilities.
·        Meditation, getting in contact with the energy we have to work with.
·        Grounding, a first step in directing the energy we have come to recognize.
·        The Center of the Head, a safe house and command station to work out of.
·        The Trap Door, another look at energetic burdens and their release.
·         Golden Suns, starting the use of active movement of that energy.
·         Little sticky Suns and roses, protection Roses, Blowing up Roses, more clearing of the work surface.
·        Spiritual Hellos
·        Mock ups
·        Amusement
·        Chakra  
·        Glass Body

My favorite of these tools thus far, are meditation with grounding, bringing in the golden suns the center of the head, workspace, with the trapdoor, to allow others to leave by, the little sticky suns and sticky roses and blowing up roses. All of these tools are of a clearing and releasing nature, which it seems at this time, is what I need the most. Using other clearing tool from various different disciplines I had discovered years ago that we are many layers of energies values and beliefs that have shaped out outcomes, but all of the tools seem to have a effective lifespan of usefulness or that certain tools are useful for some issues and in effective for others. Through the use the little sticky suns I found that I could remove my energy from places or people in the distant past even of those that have been long since deceased. Maybe due to the possible simultaneity of existence this all makes some sort of sense.

As for the tools for manifesting I have only scratched the surface with little effectiveness. It might have to do with focus of direction or level of visualization, imagination or depth of meditation. It occurred to me that perhaps as our strengths in these areas develop, along with the release or our anchors and small successes are recognized, our expectations turn more to the desired outcome and we gain the faith the sages speak of, a faith with works and mountains moved.

     The quest continues on.

Rev. Gene Rapalyea


********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar



Spirit Quest

Spirit quest Final Essay Tools

To initiate this discussion of spiritual tools I am going to regress to a need for such an understanding. All of the things I am going to say here are postulation, my understanding to date, hence, quest, Spirit Quest. We start with an awakening of self-awareness; at this stage our understanding is stimulus and response. Next we move to social awareness, trade, getting along without merely grabbing and running or beating and taking.  During these first two stages we have started to recognize that we are able to manipulate the environment around us to our benefit this gives rise to physical tools and all manor of physical fabrication. In these earlier periods of growth we began to recognize that some things that we tried worked and others didn't, this gave rise to the concepts of right and wrong, the law and justice, the accumulation of knowledge, esthetics (the critique of taste and technique, that which is beautiful and pleasing or is not). While moving through this growth we began to see that there were and are forces that we don't understand or mystify us these forces that seem to control both cause and effect, acting on and in a medium undefined by our physical knowledge and reason. Is it an external agent or emanated from within or both for we both seem to be in control and the out of control. Spirit is intuited and recognized, but what is it and where is it?  The quest began as time went by we began to recognize that pretty much all of the above is true, it is both internal and external simultaneously, we are individual and a part of the whole in the broadest sense. We are both in and out of Control.

The Sages through the ages tell us faith and Grace is the key to this control, a topic for another conversation. Beyond faith and grace is the word (spoken or unspoken concept, imagination) and action (ritual) "actions speak louder than words". The word precedes action. So what does this have to do with Spirit, Control and tools? The tools are the outcome of generations of listening to the word and experiencing (including observing) the out come of the generated action. This may be a state of grace.
These statements direct us to the tools, which are to implement and explore the effect we as energetic facets of the whole, can exert as a change agent on our being experience. The tools embody the word and its conversion to experience, i.e. Matter. Some of these tools include:

·        Goals, direction and focus.
·        Forgiveness, the release of previous burdens to explore new possibilities.
·        Meditation, getting in contact with the energy we have to work with.
·        Grounding, a first step in directing the energy we have come to recognize.
·        The Center of the Head, a safe house and command station to work out of.
·        The Trap Door, another look at energetic burdens and their release.
·         Golden Suns, starting the use of active movement of that energy.
·         Little sticky Suns and roses, protection Roses, Blowing up Roses, more clearing of the work surface.
·        Spiritual Hellos
·        Mock ups
·        Amusement
·        Chakra  
·        Glass Body

My favorite of these tools thus far, are meditation with grounding, bringing in the golden suns the center of the head, workspace, with the trapdoor, to allow others to leave by, the little sticky suns and sticky roses and blowing up roses. All of these tools are of a clearing and releasing nature, which it seems at this time, is what I need the most. Using other clearing tool from various different disciplines I had discovered years ago that we are many layers of energies values and beliefs that have shaped out outcomes, but all of the tools seem to have a effective lifespan of usefulness or that certain tools are useful for some issues and in effective for others. Through the use the little sticky suns I found that I could remove my energy from places or people in the distant past even of those that have been long since deceased. Maybe due to the possible simultaneity of existence this all makes some sort of sense.

As for the tools for manifesting I have only scratched the surface with little effectiveness. It might have to do with focus of direction or level of visualization, imagination or depth of meditation. It occurred to me that perhaps as our strengths in these areas develop, along with the release or our anchors and small successes are recognized, our expectations turn more to the desired outcome and we gain the faith the sages speak of, a faith with works and mountains moved.

     The quest continues on.

Rev. Gene Rapalyea


********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar



Monday, February 09, 2009

Spirit Quest

Spirit Quest Final Essay
My life and spiritual practices have undergone some profound changes since starting the Spirit Quest course.  One of the most significant changes is the development of my meditation place in my mind.  For me this place is a large wheat field with an old oak tree in the center of the field.  I sit under or in this magnificent old tree watching the golden wheat bow in the gentle prairie winds.  In this place all my spiritual work begins, I run my energy here, I ground myself here, and I call my energy back and remove unwanted energy here.  Something I found interesting was how the tools given in this course have evolved for me over the duration of the 30 weeks.  Some examples of the evolution are grounding cords turned to roots for me.  Much like those of my oak tree, they run deep into Mother Earth and flow out from me in a wide circle.  From these roots I can expel larger amounts of unwanted energy and draw in more healing energy from the Earths center.  In the last few weeks I have begun playing with energy bubbles rather then energy suns for drawing my energy back to me.   

With these bubbles I found that I can draw them right to me covering myself in them and allowing them to absorb back into my body.  I can send these bubbles in swarms to my children and others making my work as a spiritual healer easier and more effective.  Some of the tools I use the most are the manifestation tools.  I have brought to myself my spinning wheel, money to pay bills, people back into my life that meant a lot to me as a child and a wonderful friend and as I sit here composing this essay I am waiting to hear back from a job that is perfect for me and my family. 
One thing this course and other events in my life have taught me is that every moment of my life is a miracle.  Every minute with my husband, my children, my friends and family is a miracle but the most profound miracle in my life is when I manifested a cure for my cancer.  Not only am I cancer free but I have no scaring from any of the medical procedures I had to endure.  While becoming cancer free really was a profound moment it is the nothing to the miracles my preemie son has seen in his 19 months; he is walking, talking, growing so big and over coming his difficult start and that as a mother is the most moving miracle ever.  Holding my 17 year old dog as she transitioned leaving her pain behind was a wonderful gift and miracle for me.  Being kissed good bye by my aunts' spirit when she transitioned in a hospital 15 minutes away from where I was at the time was a miracle.  The sun shine today, the rain that may come tomorrow, the snow in the winter are all miracles to me.  A miracle is made in every minute as long as we look through eyes of universal love and see the profound beauty given to us by God.
About six months before starting this course I became a level 3 reiki practitioner and was already on a path of spiritual renewal and growth however the tools I have been given during this course have allowed me to adjust my life and increase my spiritual awareness in ways I never knew where possible.  I am happier as a person, I smile more, and I am more outgoing and more willing to give myself as a companion and friend.  My family is happier and my husband and I are closer as a couple.  I find myself helping others in understanding how the universe affects our minds, bodies, and spirits more often and it is easier for me to guide others through their daily troubles.  My talks with Spirit have been greatly improved through visual communication and dreams as now I can understand that these are tools and I have learned how to use them.  Over all, this course has not only improved my understanding of myself and family but has proved to be invaluable in furthering my spirituality, my natural abilities and my skills and a spiritual leader and lightworker.

by Jessica Marshall

********************************************

Click the Free Online Ordination, button – Get ordained with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now.

I've been a member of ULC for many years and our site has created a terrific ULC Forum. We also have the most extensive catalog of Universal Life Church materials and seminary courses. As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Spirit Quest

Spirit Quest Final Essay
My life and spiritual practices have undergone some profound changes since starting the Spirit Quest course.  One of the most significant changes is the development of my meditation place in my mind.  For me this place is a large wheat field with an old oak tree in the center of the field.  I sit under or in this magnificent old tree watching the golden wheat bow in the gentle prairie winds.  In this place all my spiritual work begins, I run my energy here, I ground myself here, and I call my energy back and remove unwanted energy here.  Something I found interesting was how the tools given in this course have evolved for me over the duration of the 30 weeks.  Some examples of the evolution are grounding cords turned to roots for me.  Much like those of my oak tree, they run deep into Mother Earth and flow out from me in a wide circle.  From these roots I can expel larger amounts of unwanted energy and draw in more healing energy from the Earths center.  In the last few weeks I have begun playing with energy bubbles rather then energy suns for drawing my energy back to me.   

With these bubbles I found that I can draw them right to me covering myself in them and allowing them to absorb back into my body.  I can send these bubbles in swarms to my children and others making my work as a spiritual healer easier and more effective.  Some of the tools I use the most are the manifestation tools.  I have brought to myself my spinning wheel, money to pay bills, people back into my life that meant a lot to me as a child and a wonderful friend and as I sit here composing this essay I am waiting to hear back from a job that is perfect for me and my family. 
One thing this course and other events in my life have taught me is that every moment of my life is a miracle.  Every minute with my husband, my children, my friends and family is a miracle but the most profound miracle in my life is when I manifested a cure for my cancer.  Not only am I cancer free but I have no scaring from any of the medical procedures I had to endure.  While becoming cancer free really was a profound moment it is the nothing to the miracles my preemie son has seen in his 19 months; he is walking, talking, growing so big and over coming his difficult start and that as a mother is the most moving miracle ever.  Holding my 17 year old dog as she transitioned leaving her pain behind was a wonderful gift and miracle for me.  Being kissed good bye by my aunts' spirit when she transitioned in a hospital 15 minutes away from where I was at the time was a miracle.  The sun shine today, the rain that may come tomorrow, the snow in the winter are all miracles to me.  A miracle is made in every minute as long as we look through eyes of universal love and see the profound beauty given to us by God.
About six months before starting this course I became a level 3 reiki practitioner and was already on a path of spiritual renewal and growth however the tools I have been given during this course have allowed me to adjust my life and increase my spiritual awareness in ways I never knew where possible.  I am happier as a person, I smile more, and I am more outgoing and more willing to give myself as a companion and friend.  My family is happier and my husband and I are closer as a couple.  I find myself helping others in understanding how the universe affects our minds, bodies, and spirits more often and it is easier for me to guide others through their daily troubles.  My talks with Spirit have been greatly improved through visual communication and dreams as now I can understand that these are tools and I have learned how to use them.  Over all, this course has not only improved my understanding of myself and family but has proved to be invaluable in furthering my spirituality, my natural abilities and my skills and a spiritual leader and lightworker.

by Jessica Marshall

********************************************

Click the Free Online Ordination, button – Get ordained with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now.

I've been a member of ULC for many years and our site has created a terrific ULC Forum. We also have the most extensive catalog of Universal Life Church materials and seminary courses. As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Metaphysical Healing

Master of Metaphysical Healing
Final Essay
Rev. Barry Deel

        The master of metaphysical healing was quite informative and yet refreshing.  I very much like the course in its layout and the way it was presented.  The diversity that is allowed throughout the course makes it ideal for any faith or belief.  I also liked the terms and vocabulary that were given.  I found them to be very useful in explaining information and the way things happen in a healing to my new clients.  They seemed to understand and relate better to me and the healing they were receiving.   

            I especially liked the lessons on the healer's morals and ethics and code of conduct.  I have been a healing practitioner now for over twenty years and have taken quite a few courses and classes and none have touched on this subject as well as this course.  I am also very impressed, being a health care professional, that there were lessons on taking a medical history.  I was glad to see that the course presented you with actual forms for taking a medical history that you could use in your healing practice as well as a disclaimer that the healer can present to the client for a signature. 

            How to properly handle clients that have mental or substance abuse issues was also something that I was not expecting to see.  The lessons and the way that the healer should handle these types of clients were very good.  As a healer, I also like the fact that the course gave you examples and ways to handle presenting information to a client in order to get them to see a medical doctor without the healer diagnosing their client.

            I would like to see the master of metaphysical healing course extended by maybe three additional lessons.  Those lessons being on subjects like "What to do when healing does not work in the eyes of the client."  "What to do or say when a healing relationship should come to a close."  "How a healer goes about getting insured and registered."  These are just a few that I think will enhance the course.
     
            Over all the master of metaphysical healing is a course that I would respectfully suggest to other healers in order to bring about some form of unified way of service and professional conduct here in the United States.

********************************************

Click the Free Online Ordination, button – Get ordained with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now.

I've been a member of ULC for many years and our site has created a terrific ULC Forum. We also have the most extensive catalog of Universal Life Church materials and seminary courses. As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary.


Metaphysical Healing

Master of Metaphysical Healing
Final Essay
Rev. Barry Deel

        The master of metaphysical healing was quite informative and yet refreshing.  I very much like the course in its layout and the way it was presented.  The diversity that is allowed throughout the course makes it ideal for any faith or belief.  I also liked the terms and vocabulary that were given.  I found them to be very useful in explaining information and the way things happen in a healing to my new clients.  They seemed to understand and relate better to me and the healing they were receiving.   

            I especially liked the lessons on the healer's morals and ethics and code of conduct.  I have been a healing practitioner now for over twenty years and have taken quite a few courses and classes and none have touched on this subject as well as this course.  I am also very impressed, being a health care professional, that there were lessons on taking a medical history.  I was glad to see that the course presented you with actual forms for taking a medical history that you could use in your healing practice as well as a disclaimer that the healer can present to the client for a signature. 

            How to properly handle clients that have mental or substance abuse issues was also something that I was not expecting to see.  The lessons and the way that the healer should handle these types of clients were very good.  As a healer, I also like the fact that the course gave you examples and ways to handle presenting information to a client in order to get them to see a medical doctor without the healer diagnosing their client.

            I would like to see the master of metaphysical healing course extended by maybe three additional lessons.  Those lessons being on subjects like "What to do when healing does not work in the eyes of the client."  "What to do or say when a healing relationship should come to a close."  "How a healer goes about getting insured and registered."  These are just a few that I think will enhance the course.
     
            Over all the master of metaphysical healing is a course that I would respectfully suggest to other healers in order to bring about some form of unified way of service and professional conduct here in the United States.

********************************************

Click the Free Online Ordination, button – Get ordained with the Universal Life Church, for free, for life, right now.

I've been a member of ULC for many years and our site has created a terrific ULC Forum. We also have the most extensive catalog of Universal Life Church materials and seminary courses. As an ordained minister with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning, I've enjoyed watching the continual growth of the seminary.


Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Spirit Quest



It was most important to me to accept the assignment and write something about Spirit-Quest and my experiences within the course.  The course is a wonderful addition to my life. From Lesson 1, Goal Setting all the way through, Reverend Amy Long had my attention.

If anyone would have told me just a couple of years ago that I would be setting spiritual goals I would have laughed at them. Now I have pages regarding personal, spiritual growth. That is a miracle in itself. For all people Spirit Quest holds great tools and philosophy for moving toward the light.  What is and has been very important for me is that these 30 lessons of Spirit Quest put me in touch with volumes upon volumes of information and non-information within me. With the lessons came the tools for me to start working through those volumes of whatever to see if it's worth bringing along in life.

 "Spiritual growth comes when you remember that your word is your bond."
That phrase from Lesson One is on my wall.  Being raised in the great State of Wyoming for the most part, people's word are their bond. Most people of the Cowboy State take great pride in matching their actions with their words. After moving East and becoming part of corporate America the phrase can still be found but the practice is limited.  

"With your word, comes your intention.  Your intention drives the force of your being. Your word is everything. . ."
These words of Reverend Amy are a huge part of the foundation of what I grew up thinking and it is my intention to pass these things along teaching and placing it out there in my actions for the world to see. There is a special sense of beingness when one "knows" his or her word becomes intention and intention is the driving force of one's life.  Ah yes, "In the beginning was the Word. . ."

The tools in Spirit Quest are of inestimable value. Hypnotherapy (or what in my practice I called 'Alpha- Technique') has been an ardent study of mine since securing my degree and certification in 1984.  Without question, Spirit Quest offers all people and therapists of any persuasion fine, new tools. 

In pursuing hypnotherapy I had learned about a "sacred place." Along with that my studies took me through many different kinds of induction and self-induction. To date none of them have been on the level of the tools Rev. Long teaches in Spirit Quest.  

Her 'Grounding Cord' is terrific if not essential.  Nearly every person seeking religion and/or therapy is insecure and seeking some kind of a new hold on life. Well, nothing could be better than to teach them about the cord and the visualizations of using their grounding cord. And, the internal visual exercises regarding their cord are a great foundation for engaging right brain activity and using the power in alpha brainwave technique. 

Personally, I now work with the Grounding Cord everyday – many times.  Within given days there can be a good deal of anxiety and conflict in my life and with this new tool (after months of practice) I simply send negative energy to Earth's center to be recycled. It's wonderful. I must admit it does not remove 100% of my anxiety or frustrations on every day I need it, but life is far better with a Grounding Cord than without one.

Coming from the philosophy that the Universe = Energy = Us, the Protection Rose is another far reaching tool both for me and my client/parishioners. The above concept, Universe = Energy = Us can really fill in a lot of holes in people's lives especially when it is offered with the tools. The "Protection Rose" is an ability for people to participate in protecting themselves. For people to begin to visualize their Protection Rose and participate in their own security is a profound move toward personal growth. 

We learned of "Creating and Destroying" in Spirit Quest. I am still a little hesitant to blow up beautiful roses with people in them.  I do not know why – I'm just slow I guess. Except that I can place my own frustrations or anger into roses and blow the hell out if them.  The Past – Present – Future exercises and "bringing something to the present" and then blowing up the rose is going better for me. I think that it is because this exercise is about time.  However, as the old saying goes, "I'm not sure I understand all I know about this. This is a great exercise to teach but, I won't be showing anyone anything about creating-destroying for awhile until I become more familiar with it and feel far more comfortable with what is going on. 

The Golden Sun and Running Energy are just plain exhilarating.  Everyday I get involved and I get other people involved in clearing out old energy and filling up with golden suns. Though these things are but metaphor the idea that the individual can be involved in doing something with their own energy is fantastic for them. Their energy does move and they can feel it. People readily understand that the Grounding Cord or the Rose etc., are human machinations but they also understand that the energy is really there and they are using and directing it! I love it.
Everyday at least 4 or 5 times a day I find myself running my energy and bringing in golden suns. (It seems to be happening almost subconsciously.) And, each time I do there is a wonderful, euphoric feeling and sense of well being. In these sad economic times everyone needs to be able to "run their energy" and clean out the old and bring in the new. It is possible we may have a duty to teach people this exercise. People need to know the tools to help themselves can be found within their own Spirit Quest.  I've told a lot of people about the course but I'm not certain that any of them e-mailed in and signed up for it. 

Most of them were family members and you know how that goes – at least for me. "A prophet is never known in his own home town."  My family believes that I live a little too far out there on the fringe. I always have.  In 1984 I tried to open up a nutrition based hypnotherapy center in Wyoming and South Dakota. Wow! Talk about lonely!

                                       Competition = Loneliness
Loneliness = Spiritual Death
Reverend Amy's discourse on competition was especially poignant and her dealing with our efforts at competing with amusement and comedy is genius. Personally I use this daily - particularly while driving. 

I think that I'm maybe a type 'A' personality sometimes. Before, I couldn't stand anyone driving in front of me on the road. And, if anyone would pass me I'd go a little bit nuts.  Many times I've scared my passengers nearly to death getting around all those imbecile drivers. 

Well, the lesson on competition is hitting home and I am quite a bit more calm when I drive now, and I instantly know when I'm going out of it and the humor gets me back under control (and more respectful of my fellow human beings.)
On occasion, though, I have been guilty of placing those "imbeciles" in a rose and blowing them all to hell. I get a real satisfaction out of that. All my frustration goes away but I'm fairly certain it's an improper use of the tool and I'll quit sooner or later.  I like sprinkling scenes with my can of Acme Amusement Powder.

Lessons 15 and 16, Affirmations and Speaking Positively have special meaning for me. I was one of those kids who, like Bill Cosby, thought his real name was "Dummy" until I was 12. The things I thought were achievement and ran home to tell were greeted with all the enthusiasm of a slug. Or, one parent or the other or some teacher would say, "Now, don't get a big head."  What they were really saying to me was, "It's really nothing!" Or, "You are really nothing."

Until moving out of my father's house and enrolling in college I didn't think I was worth spit. Those old voices have an insidious way of creeping back in – especially in hard times. I found Reverend Amy's Lessons not only informative but comforting too, with new sayings and new tools to bring on better, brighter methods of dealing with negativity. 

In Lesson # 24 we learned about "Kinesiology." We were taught that it is a way of communicating using the body as a gauge to determine truth.  It was all about learning to ask the right questions. The concept was really interesting but so far I haven't been able to play with it much but I can see where it will come in handy. Right now I have no experience from which to make any intelligent comments about Kinesiology.  

I am sure that I now know more about Universal 'Cosmic' Energy, Auras, and Chakras, and reincarnation than I understand. To this day, still with ardent, daily effort I have not been able to see the slightest bit of an aura around any living thing. I have practiced on every tree, the bushes, lizards, the dog – everything around here and I'm not seeing anything - yet.  It is my intent to get this and get it right because I want to be one who views auras and uses them to heal.
I do not believe in Reincarnation, Baby Beings or Spirit Guides.  However, I do not disbelieve in them either. I choose and want to believe in angels so I do fervently. Now, to me, Lesson #30 seems a little bit like a dumpster.  Therein Reverend Amy dropped so many different concepts that it became a bit jumbled for me. In this one "lesson" there are baby beings, spirit guides, angels, the reading screen, truth vs lie, charkas, roses, male & female grounding, karma and agreements, and healing energy.  I am certain that Reverend Amy could (and probably will) someday write a full discourse on each of these topics. Until then it is my considered opinion that Spirit Quest should end before lesson #30.

"When you first start this exercise, you will probably find that you spend a lot more time OUT of love than you are IN love."  

The above is the #1 concept from Spirit Quest that pulled me in deeply.  I'm still working on this one and I believe it is a lifetime assignment for anyone 'to know when you're operating out of love.'  To laugh at ourselves when we find we are outside of love, I guess, is as good a response as any. Getting into Love and staying there is a most respectful goal. Teaching myself and other people to operate from out of the right questions while in love is a script for life.
Thank you Amy,
Rev. Thomas Voss
********************

Ordination with the Universal Life Church, is free  and lasts for life, so use the button.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials. Many have been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and can attest to its ongoing growth and change.


Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar