Category Archives: Creativity

Physically Apart – Together in Heart

Physically Apart – Together in Heart

Although COVID-19 has limited our physical gatherings and much of our day-to-day activities, it has not separated us in either Spirit or Heart. We have been able to connect through the wonders of technology, including video calls and live streaming church services.  Additionally, we have been encouraged to go outside, to walk our dogs, to take walks with people with whom we live. And here is what I’ve noticed on those walks.

There is a peaceful quiet in the neighborhood that feels simultaneously good and somehow foreign. I don’t remember when I’ve felt such a powerful stillness in the city. I suspect it was some lifetime ago, as a child playing in a neighbors yard. It is quiet, the birds are singing profusely, and neighbors are stopping what they are doing to say hello. And not just hello. There is a smile, a look of knowing of one another’s need to feel connected that leaks through that smile and touches my heart. In this time apart, we are truly connected by the heart.

Did you know that when two humans interact with one another, their heartbeats begin to synchronize? It seems that close physical proximity draws our heart energy into a matching rhythm. But this coherence of heart does not have to remain limited to physical proximity.

When we take time apart – not from one another – but from daily tasks, media reports, and worry, by going within to that very same heart space, we connect. We connect with our spiritual being, the divine spark that dwells within each of us. We connect through a network of Spirit that exceeds the Cloud, hosted by the Allness that we sometimes refer to as God, Allah, Spirit, or the One.

In the Allness, there is an infinite connection; each of us is like a strand of Light reaching outward into the world of form and returning back again. In this turning back again, we find rest, wholeness, and a thing called dominion.

In the Book of Genesis, God grants humankind dominion the earth and all the things that creep upon it. The most basic interpretation of this passage reveals a gift, one that allows humanity to rise to the top of the food chain. But there is so much more to this message.

Dominion means the ability to control or govern. Metaphysically, the plants, animals, and things that creep represent thoughts, words, and actions. Thoughts and ideas that are fruitful and in coherence with the Allness produce experiences of abundance, creativity, and well-being. Thoughts out of alignment with the wholeness of God may, when given much attention, create experiences that lack wholeness and well being.

Created in the image and likeness of the power that created the universe, we, too, are creative. Our thoughts, words, and actions create our experiences, the quality of our relationships, and ultimately, our world.

Certainly, fleeting thoughts like “what would happen if a dinosaur entered the room right now?” are not likely to manifest. Why? Because we don’t give those kinds of thoughts, much attention. They pass through our minds, we smile or frown, and then we think something else.

It’s the thoughts we give a great deal of attention to, the ones we allow to occupy our minds and hearts, that produce more of the same. Our thoughts are contagious. They grow and multiply – and they tend to manifest in our bodies, our experiences, and our world. So, why not choose those thoughts carefully, from a higher consciousness?

What if Love and all the ways it harmonizes, draws together, and replicates itself, were our most prominent thought? What if kindness and compassion and the assurance of abundance occupied the most significant space in our minds and hearts?

The thought would become contagious. It would expand and open those channels of Light that connect us one heart to another. The resulting energy would become so strong that nothing could interrupt the flow of Love and Light from one heart to the other. Nothing out of alignment with this integral connection with God would have any power or ability to manifest or replicate. We would be choosing to exercise dominion over all that manifests in the world. We would know that, at times, we may be physically apart, but always, we are together in the heart and mind of God.

© 2020. Eileen Patra.

Eileen Patra is an ordained Unity minister and the author of The Mystical Ark: A Vessel of Blessings. She is currently serving as co-minister of the Spiritual Life Center in Troy, Michigan, and working on her second book, Living as the Ark.

Is There Room in Your Closet?

Does your closet sometimes get so full that you have trouble locating what you would like to wear? This happens to me more often than I care to admit. An overflowing closet might be exciting if everything in it were something I actually wanted to wear. But no, many of the items just take up space making it difficult to find what I am looking for.

A closet is not unlike the human mind. Like a mind, it stores necessary things as well as those that are no longer useful. Even when not conscious of the items held there, they sit, waiting, taking up space. And like a closet, the mind is unlikely to relinquish the things it holds unless there is a conscious the choice to let them go. We often hold thoughts and ideas about ourselves, about others, and about the world that are no longer useful, that in fact, cause so much crowding in our consciousness that little space remains for the creative thoughts that would cause us to thrive.

Think about that old tattered shirt in your closet. It’s there every time you open the door. You know the one; the one you push out of the way over and over again trying to find something more appealing. You know you would rather wash an entire load of clothes than wear it, yet there it hangs, taking up space, mocking your inability to surrender it to the giveaway bag. What thought, idea, or belief is lingering in your consciousness taking up space like that tattered old shirt? What belief about yourself is filling your consciousness day and night leaving little room for the peace and joy you seek?

If you are seeking joy, but holding thoughts of anger, fear, guilt, remorse, or regret, there is little room for joy to seep in. There is of course nothing wrong with having these thoughts or feelings. They are a part of our human experience and often helpful in defining ourselves. But holding onto them until they become a tattered memory squeezing out the joy we seek is counterproductive to a life that thrives. You are intended to thrive. You are intended to experience joy. You were meant to “be fruitful and multiply.”

Whatever that thought is, you really don’t need it anymore. You know you don’t. Take it out of there right now. Take a good look at it and realize it does not define you. It is not who and what you are. It is just some fleeting idea that crossed your mind one day and decided to settle there. Let it go. Drop it in the giveaway bin or set it on the porch and call the universe to come and pick it up. You haven’t needed it in years.

And now quickly, before it wanders back in there, replace it with something else – perhaps its absolute opposite. It might feel strange at first, but over time the new thought will become a comfortable part of your attire.

© 2019. Eileen Patra

Intentional Creation

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NASA – Baby Stars

“What you sow, so also shall you reap.” These words are most often associated with material wealth. What you give, so you will receive.  Indeed, the principle does manifest itself in our finances. But the concept is much more profound.  Jesus used these words to describe what we would call the boomerang effect of our thoughts, words and actions.  What we project, we will, ultimately experience.  It is the Law. It is a principle, just as Newton’s principle of motion, consistently demonstrates that a body in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by another force.  We, humankind, are made in the image and likeness of the Source of all being, the Source of the heavens and the stars, the Source that gives life to this very planet. In us lies the DNA of a creative principle, the creative code for the unceasing process of expressing and receiving. We are continually in the process of creating on both an individual level and the collective level.  This is not just an idea, it is principle.  It is unchanging, constant. What then can we change? We can change the force acting upon the principle. We can change our patterns of thinking and speaking. We can change our actions and patterns of behavior.  We can become more conscious of this Divine principle and “intentionally” create the experience we desire.

© 2017. Rev. Eileen DeRosia Patra

Paint A Miracle Today

paint-ccPAINT is a magical, miraculous substance capable of changing the color of an object.  A vast variety of pigments and tints can be added to this liquid substance to create a coating of the desired color and hue. Easily changed or even removed in its liquid state, PAINT becomes fixed when it dries.  Metaphysically, PAINT represents the thoughts and energy we project into our world and our experiences.  We can PAINT our thoughts or experiences in the color or hue of our choosing.  We can choose a color that vibrates with joy and harmony. Or, we can choose a color that constricts or vibrates with fear or anger.  Thoughts and energies held for long periods of time become fixed and require one or more coats of a new color, or new thoughts.  If I have been holding thoughts of fear or anger for a long period of time, it may require numerous affirmative thoughts to change the picture I have allowed to become fixed in my mind. Today, I paint a miracle. I paint the world with shades of Love, Healing, Acceptance, Forgiveness, Faith and Joy and they become fixed in my mind and in my life.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.  

A Wondrous Moon In You?

moon-nasa

The MOON, whether full or simply a sliver in the sky, floats silently in its rhythmic path around the earth providing light in the night sky, a scene of beauty for lovers and artists and a sense of wonder for all who would pause and take in its majestic presence.  Light on one side, dark and cold on the other, it provides for us what it cannot provide for itself; a sense of warmth and comfort.  Just one of trillions of lights in the night sky, the MOON is a special miracle as it is a part of the Earthscape, the subject of human poetry and a constant reminder of the cycles of time.  Its regular 28-day cycle is predictable, its gravitational pull powerful. Capable of creating tidal waves and capable of being the centerpiece of a peaceful, pastoral scene, the MOON is a miracle that warms the heart and lights the sky.  What in you is like the MOON?

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra.  Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.  

The Telephone: Miracle or Vessel?

Behold the Plain Old Telephone

TELEPHONES, so much a part of our everyday lives. we may forget what a miracle they have provided in our culture.  The wired phone of the past was a magical discovery.  Vibrations from the human voice transmitted over great distances through a massive network of wires connected people in way that was previously thought impossible.  Today our phones are wireless.  They carry more information in their tiny sim cards than the computers aboard the Apollo spacecrafts.  They connect us, perhaps at times more than we would like.  The marvel of telecommunication remains not a mystery, but a manifestation of the human capacity for expanded thinking.  TELEPHONES indeed provide a channel for communication across great distances.  But in all their forms, TELEPHONES are simply the objects that we designate as vessels for our power to connect and receive messages.   Messages may be received through dreams, intuition, or even an audible voice from somewhere deep within.  One who has mastered clairaudience may receive messages from sources in seemingly faraway places much like the use of a telephone. Some messages may even appear in a dream as a ringing telephone with a familiar voice on the other end.  TELEPHONES are the miraculous manifestation of the human capacity to reach beyond the appearances of limitation and connect across seemingly great distances.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Clairvoyance

cc-clairvoyanceCLAIRVOYANCE, the ability to see beyond what is currently visible to the human eye is the miracle of Spiritual Vision or seeing with the Mind’s eye.  This is not an ability conferred upon the few, but an ability inherent in all.  If I invite you to think about a blue butterfly, an image comes to mind of a blue butterfly.  It may not be a picture-perfect image, but you know what you are seeing in your mind’s eye. The “Clairvoyant” has simply learned to utilize this invisible sense to a higher degree.  Seeing the invisible, that which has not yet occurred or that which occurred millennia ago only requires that we transcend what the physical eyes behold.  Time, is an illusion, relative to our current position in the universe. In Spirit, all things occur simultaneously so seeing what has not yet occurred is simply looking beyond what the physical eyes, bound by time and space are beholding.  With practice, we can increase the ability to SEE beyond the physical, to SEE beyond the appearance of limitation and separation.  We do not alter the future in doing so. Instead, we alter our own consciousness which in turn changes what we bring forth next.  CLAIRVOYANCE, is the miracle of Spiritual Sight inherent in all.  It is intended to be utilized, not “… hidden under a basket.”

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.   

A Miracle A Day, Day 89

future.cc.9683205509_f23e35ca06_mThe FUTURE I hold in my mind is a miracle. Through the ability to experience sequence, I can perceive what is yet to be.  Through the power of Imagination, I can direct my thoughts and creative energies toward a FUTURE I find desirable.  The image I hold is one in which all beings are awakened to their Divinity; all beings are awakened to their self-worth.  Awakened in this way, I see all beings beholding the sacredness of one another.  In this FUTURE no one is left out.  No one is excluded, and no one would even consider harming another.  Each person thrives in an occupation that feeds them as much spiritually and emotionally as it does physically and financially.  Everyone listens, everyone speaks with love and kindness.  Everyone honors and respects the ideas, views and needs of one another. In this FUTURE, compassion and understanding are the foundation of all activity.  This is a FUTURE that is a miracle, and the even greater miracle is that it is achievable.  With God, with the power and gifts already bestowed upon us as the image and likeness of God, ALL things are possible.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

Rev. Eileen is an ordained Unity minister currently serving at Unity of Livonia in Livonia, Michigan.  To view the entire Miracle A Day series, visit her Facebook page

A Miracle A Day, Day 84

invention.cc.12716967264_0ba3da36ee_qINVENTION is the miracle that transcends convention.  With every new INVENTION, the human experience is moved from what has been to something new.  Many INVENTIONS have materialized in the many millennia behind us.  Countless more will unfold in centuries to come.  A true INVENTION is something original; something that has never been created before.  An INVENTION usually fulfills a real or perceived need.  The INVENTION of the automobile perceived a need for faster, better transportation.  The INVENTION of the refrigerator perceived a need for better food preservation.  What need exists in your mind and heart today and what new thought might you INVENT within yourself to fulfill that need?  A need upon one’s heart is God calling forth a greater activity.  What will you allow God to INVENT in you today?

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra

A Miracle A Day, Day 82

idea.cc.7650740066_bb5e4ea62b_qIDEAS spark possibilities.  They are a miracle of the mind.  IDEAS, like dreams, access the power of imagination.  IDEAS are constantly connecting us to the divine and bringing the future into the present moment.  An IDEA is a thought that sparks a new way of being or a new way of doing something.  For an IDEA to take hold it is vital that the old way of doing, thinking or being is released.  Without that act of release, the IDEA has no room to peak through or take form. IDEAS are miracles continuously popping into our minds, inspiring us to create something greater than the current experience. God once had an IDEA.  It was an IDEA of a world in perfect balance, populated with spiritual beings that would have creative IDEAS themselves, IDEAS that would be fruitful and multiply.   Open the space for a new IDEA.  Honor the new IDEA of another.  Work together to try new IDEAS and begin to manifest an entirely new way of being.  Right now, this very moment, someone has a better IDEA of how the world can become a thriving, fruitful place that works for all.  Perhaps, we can join together and release the way things have always been to make room for the Divine IDEAS that will carry us to the next phase of spiritual evolution.

© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra