ANCHORS are the miracle that keeps us stable in the midst of the waves and winds of life. When boating, an anchor keeps us in the place of our choosing, minimizing the effect of wind and waves. As I watched the 4th of July parade from my paddle boat last week I became acutely aware of how an anchor would have been useful. The wind was gentle but steadily moved me toward a sea of lily pads. Although beautiful to view, the lily pads get tangled in the paddle wheel and wrap around the rudder making it almost impossible to move or steer the boat. Much of my time during the parade was spent paddling away from the lily pads. It was a bit distracting and rather exhausting leaving me with little energy for the return trip. In our lives, we have a variety of ANCHORS that keep us from drifting away from where we choose to be. Our ANCHORS may be Friends, Family, Mentors, or our Spiritual Foundation. An affirmation, a statement of Truth or a deep faith in a Power greater than ourselves can ANCHOR us in a stable place of consciousness, reducing the effects of the winds and waves of life. ANCHORS are a miracle granted to each of us and they sometimes show up in unexpected places, people and events. For the ANCHORS in our lives to be effective, we have to use them; drop them into the watery energy that is our thoughts, feelings and emotions. ANCHORed in the gifts of Spirit, we remain stable, our rudder stays clear, and we can steer through the winds and waves of life with ease and grace.
© 2016. Reverend Eileen DeRosia Patra
ONENESS is the miracle that underlies all of Life. A miracle is defined as something unexpected that transcends physical law. Certainly, in a world where we are continually bombarded with evidence of our differences, the notion that we are all ONE is an astonishing idea. And yet, it is true. Although we inhabit separate bodies that are infinitely unique, we each spring forth from the same Source of Life. We are first, spiritual beings and second, physical beings. In Spirit, we are ONE. Awareness of ONENESS in the midst of diversity is the key to transcending the experience of conflict. If ONENESS is true, conflict with another is conflict with ourselves. If peace and harmony are our deepest desire, then peace and harmony with ourselves can bring peace and harmony to the whole. To live in an awareness of ONENESS is to recognize that all we project on another we project on ourselves. When Jesus spoke about loving our neighbor as ourselves he was acknowledging the miraculous truth of ONENESS, for to love another IS loving ourselves, and this is the key to living from Heaven consciousness. 
WATER, a pliable, movable and vitally necessary substance is a miracle supporting and sustaining life on planet earth. WATER can be moved through, floated upon, directed. purified, and utilized to sustain a healthy life. WATER is also powerful. Falling from a high cliff to a stream or river below it creates both the beauty and power that can be harnessed to provide electricity. Overflowing rivers, lakes and drains it can demolish everything in its path. WATER is powerful and it is vital to our existence. It is essentially invisible yet reflects color and images from the atmosphere surrounding it. Lakes and oceans appear to be blue, reflecting the color refracted off droplets in the air. Up to 60% of our adult bodies are made up of water. The color blue can also be seen by aura photography to reflect our energy in varying degrees from the area of the throat chakra and to some extent from the area of the third eye. It seems we share some of the qualities of WATER. Our thoughts and words, like WATER often reflect the atmosphere surrounding us. They can be moved, floated upon, directed, purified and utilized to sustain a healthy attitude. When the atmosphere of life seems dark and gray, I can shift my thoughts and radiate a more vibrant energy, a more positive outlook. I can expect a miracle. Even when WATER pours through a hole in my roof or comes flooding into my home it is still a miracle. If it seems to be something else, I remember that everything is a miracle and I affirm the good that exists just beyond my vision. I bless the water as I redirect it and then ponder the possibilities of the miracle left in its wake. WATER is a miracle and so am I.
AIR, that miraculous and vital mixture of nitrogen, oxygen and argon is what we breathe, assimilate into the blood, and then exhale in a continuous cycle of giving and receiving. We draw this seemingly invisible substance into our bodies and then give it back to the earth in a transformed state. It is such a fundamental element that we often take it for granted, until we find ourselves short of it. Mixed with heat it becomes thinner and lighter allowing hot AIR balloons to drift upon it. Oh, if we were more like the balloon, rising above whatever the AIR seems filled with, drifting, floating upon its tiny, unseen particles. But wait! Perhaps we can float on the AIR. Warming our consciousness is possible by filling it with Light, with thoughts that rise above the circumstances of life. Thoughts that give thanks for the AIR we breathe, thoughts that acknowledge and revere the miracle of Life, thoughts that give and receive Divine Love lift us higher and we float upon the invisible substance of Spirit. 
THOUGHT is the miraculous evidence of consciousness. I think, therefore I am. Or, perhaps the opposite is true. I am, therefore I think. THOUGHT is more than electrical impulses receiving and interpreting information. THOUGHT is a part of the creative process evident in all that takes shape and form. Thoughts create our experiences. Thoughts generate energy that can influence our feelings and behavior, and can even influence those around us. Have you ever walked into a room and simply known there was an energy to the thoughts of the people in the room? Thought generates an energy that can be felt, an energy that influences behavior, outcomes and experiences. Sometimes the energy can almost be felt. Imagine, if our thoughts were like the jet streams across the sky, creating a trail relative to the energy they carried. Happy positive thoughts would leave a trail of light and puffy billows that skipped across the sky. Angry, fearful and hurtful thoughts might leave a trail that was dense, heavy, and not so pretty. Our thoughts may not be visible, but they do indeed create a stream of energy that enfolds our world. Happy, loving, caring, nurturing thoughts – happy, loving, caring, nurturing earth. Angry, judgmental hurtful thoughts … Well you get the picture. Let our thoughts be the miracle they are intended to be and create a network of loving energy encircling our earth.
WISDOM is the ability to hold more than one perspective, informing our decisions and choices from a deeper sense of knowingnesss. A miracle of spiritual consciousness, WISDOM is a gift that connects the human mind with the Mind of God. Divine WISDOM is more than intellect or common sense. It is the knowingness of all things whispered to the mind through the “Still Small Voice.” Accessing inner WISDOM we make choices that align with our highest good. King Solomon in the Hebrew Scriptures asks God for WISDOM over riches, honor and wealth for WISDOM aligns the heart and mind with Mind of God from which all true riches flow.
EMORY is the human faculty the provides me with the miracle of time travel. I can travel through time and apace to revisit the past. With this miraculous ability I gather wisdom as I review past challenges or defeats. I am encouraged that the future holds joy and harmony as I visit joyful times in the past. I take care not to visit too long or become too engrossed in the past. I use it as a gift to enhance the now moment and strengthen my resolve for the future. A review of the past increases my understanding that life is in a continuous state of evolution, growing and changing to fit an ever increasing comprehension of wholeness. I am encouraged by the memory of those who have stood firm and given their lives for an ideal such as “all people are created equal.” For it is these who give us shoulders to stand upon for an even greater ideal, “that we are all one.” As I remember, I return to the now moment, strengthened, encouraged, and with great resolve to create the future that works for all.
Eileen Patra 