(photo provided by: Pixabay: jillwellingtonphotography)
While considering what was “perfect” about the summers of my childhood, I recalled a consistent theme. The summers I deemed to be perfect were timeless. There were no schedules to keep, no piles of homework, no vocabulary lists, no math, no science projects, and very few places to be.
As adults, living in a time-bound world, schedules keep us on task, tasks demand lists, and there are many places to go and be. But I wonder if, in the midst of all of this activity, we might recreate that sense of timelessness we once enjoyed as children? I think we can.
Recreating the timelessness of childhood requires just three things, a willingness to stop for just a moment and breathe, remembering that time is an illusion governed by the planet we inhabit, and letting go of all our thoughts, concerns, and lists for just a little while – even a single moment.
In this way, we command time to stand still. We shift from thinking and doing to being, and we open ourselves to the timelessness of Spirit. We remember what Moses called the Sabbath, a time of rest that, according to Jesus, was made for you and me.
Take a moment today, maybe even right now to “Remember the Sabbath” that lives right there inside of you. Take a momentary Sabbath of the Soul.
© 2019. Eileen DeRosia Patra, OUM, LUT, CSE
Eileen Patra is an ordained Unity minister and the author of the soon to be released book, The Mystical Ark: A Vessel of Blessings
(photo provided by: Pixabay: jillwellingtonphotography)
A TELESCOPE houses a set of lenses that allow us to see over a great distance. As I look through my telescope I can see the eagles nesting in the cellular tower ½ mile away. They are just tiny specs, almost imperceptible to my physical eyes, but focusing this set of lenses I can see them as they build their nest, raise their young and then fly off to distant places. Through these lenses I can see the stars, satellites passing by, and the craters of the moon. I can see things that are always there but too far away to see. Did you know that we each have a telescope within us? There are lenses we see through that can be focused to see more clearly. We call this perspective and we can choose a new perspective any time. We can also widen the lens to include other perspectives, gaining a greater view. We also have within us the ability to see the invisible. Some call this faculty the third eye. Some call it clairvoyance. The Hebrew Scriptures called those who could see the invisible prophets. This inner telescope does not need to stretch out to see more clearly. Rather, we simply need to allow the physical eyes to grow dim, to see through them less and behold instead the vision within us. Seeing through spiritual eyes is like viewing a holograph that takes shape in our very midst. The holograph is malleable, formable and greatly responsive to Light. As I view the holographic image of myself and the world around me I see more clearly. Judgment transforms to discernment. Heaviness transforms to movement. Shadows become illuminated. Telescopes are miraculous devices and the telescope in me is miraculously and wondrously made.
BRIDGES are a miracle of human ingenuity. A bridge allows passage across great expanses of water or great chasms in the earth. BRIDGES are wonderful feats of engineering, and they are replicas of BRIDGES within us. Our brains create BRIDGES, or neural pathways, connecting various neurons, and increasing our capacity to acquire, store and take new action on new information. There is a mighty but invisible BRIDGE from head to heart that connects the Power of Divine Love with the thinking and feeling natures, creating greater balance and healthier, more compassionate choices in our lives. And then, there is an innate BRIDGE, seldom fully traversed, that provides a pathway from the personal consciousness to the higher or Christ consciousness. Stepping across this BRIDGE, we bring the personal consciousness under the direction of the Christ Mind and we are transformed. 
MIRRORS provide us with the opportunity to see ourselves as others see us. That first moment when humankind caught a glimpse of self in a still pond must have been an amazing experience. There would have been an instant of recognition of the self being much like the others in the clan, yet somehow different and distinct. MIRRORS that reflect our physical appearance give us that opportunity today; a glimpse of the self as a similar, yet unique member of the human experience. Metaphorical MIRRORS provided by other people in our lives reflect characteristics we may not have noticed or owned about ourselves. These are MIRRORS that help us grow and evolve in self-awareness. But there is yet another type of MIRROR that reflects much more than our physical being. There is an inner MIRROR that gives us a view of who we are beyond our physical appearance. Because it is within however, does not make it small. Instead, this is a MIRROR without limit. It might be called a “cosmic” MIRROR, one which reflects the image and likeness of God in us. This MIRROR sees through the physical being and beyond the perceived limitations and cultural baggage we might carry. This MIRROR allows us to see ourselves as a member of an infinite, ever-expanding clan of consciousness, yet a unique and individualized expression in it. This is a reflection that lifts us into seeing and being all that we are meant to be. MIRRORS are miraculous and they are all around us and deep within us. 
WORDS, our ability to form them and use them are a miracle. The human mind is capable of forming and using an infinite number of words, each presenting us with a vast variety of interpretations. Yet each word begins with an original intention or idea. Each word created and formed then spoken is meant to connect, to find a common understanding of something. Each spoken word creates a vibration in the universe and attracts to it like vibrations. Words of love and kindness attract love and kindness. Words of anger and judgment create a stream of dense vibrations that block the higher vibrations of love and kindness. According to the Gospel of John, all the manifest world is the result of the “Word” that was with God in the beginning. God is Love. The Word is Love. This is a vibration that expands and multiplies and presents us with an infinite variety of experiences and interpretations. Yet behind this one Word lies one original intention; the expansion and expression of Love. The Word is the miracle that manifests as you and I. The WORDS we use and form are indeed miracles when we align the thoughts and ideas behind them with this original WORD.
ROOTS. A Tree or plant is nurtured by its roots which absorb nutrients and moisture from the soil in which is planted. This is the miracle of nature, the miracle of life; seeking, growing, expanding, thriving and then being fruitful and multiplying. Like a tree, I have roots. When I get back to my roots, I get back to that which feeds me, that which nourishes me. When the roots of a tree are trimmed, the tree responds. An expertly trimmed bonsai will result in an exquisite replication of the roots.
NOW. In The NOW moment, I take a breath and recognize the miracle of “NOW.” Free of what has been, assured of what can be, I rest in the NOW. It is the only, true moment. Everything else is an illusion created by the movement of objects; matter, in a constant state of flux and contrast with the space between which is still and whole, complete and full. In the miracle of NOW, I breathe the breath of Spirit and see with eyes that see. I see that all things emanate from this wholeness; expanding, stretching, manifesting, soaring, and then are gently pulled back again to NOW; where 
The 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.
LAUGHTER is a gift from God. It is the sound of pure joy emanating through us from the very heart of Spirit. LAUGHTER is a healing miracle, especially when we can let it flow in the midst of challenges. Just as a good cry cleanses our hearts, LAUGHTER quickly follows healing, renewing and shaking loose any remnants of stuck energy requiring release. LAUGHTER knows no race, no creed, no age. It is a sound vibration that connects us on the deepest of levels. Perhaps, today, whatever is going on in our lives or in the world, we can find something to LAUGH about. As LAUGHTER heals the heart, it also energizes and revitalizes. It awakens the indwelling powers of strength and wisdom that we might step into what is ours to do and be in a world that aches for transformation. LAUGH. LAUGH out loud. Let it be the sound of joy and Divine Love expressing, healing, and revitalizing us as we step forward in our ongoing endeavors to create a world that works for all.
Eileen Patra 