Did you know that we live in a world with two trillion galaxies?  We can’t even comprehend the scope of this, but we can fall into awe just walking around our neighborhood.  As I return from the inspiring trip down under, I am grateful for the opportunity to have been to all the incredibly gorgeous places we visited.  I carry within my heart and soul this deep sense of the Divine in all of creation.  The truth is we do not have to leave Richmond to experience this, and I am grateful to be home again!

I love this idea!  I found this in an old booklet called The Simple Prayer by Mary Kupferle.  I know you will find it useful.  Here's an excerpt:

I love that the Lenten Booklet has the theme of a garden.  The most beautiful garden that we can tend is the inner garden of our soul.  It is the secret garden where we are always planting with our thoughts and intentions.  Desire arises from the depths of our garden.  The Divine whispers in our garden.

We each can lift one another up in very simple ways – a thoughtful question, an "I love you" text, a wink, or a hug.  A rare gift is to have someone really listen.  It is so healing and a transformative blessing.  To be present, to look into another’s eyes and treasure them by your attention, that is a great gift. 

On Wednesday, we entered the liturgical season called Lent.  Charles wrote a book called Keep a True Lent.  Its focus is on where we place our thoughts.  We do this every day.  You canread it for free at Truthunity.net.  You may give a love offering to the minister who creates this wonderful site at the bottom of the webpage.  I am sharing a few sentences to whet your appetite.

Truth is within ourselves; it takes no rise
From outward things, whate'er you may believe.
There is an inmost center in us all,
Where truth abides in fulness; …and to know,
Rather consists in opening out a way
Whence the imprisoned splendor may escape,
Than in effecting entry for a light
Supposed to be without.
--Robert Browning

I am still thinking about Sunday’s story. It is always an act of self-love to feel fear and move forward grounded in love. Edwene told a story of loving herself enough to go through the fear even if she was shaking, babbling and having a hissy fit. She essentially said to her ego – “I hear you; I feel the fear and here we go, over the ledge.” She said to the Divine within - “I hear you, I know you are with me. Here we go, over the ledge!”

Helen Keller said, “What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” If you would like your heart to expand, dive into life’s depths and love. It is the simplest path to becoming a grand lover. We in Unity know that we are the energy of love, and we express our true identity as we love. There are endless ways to love, and we are in the thick of them this month.

Happy February! Happy month of Love! Let’s start the month considering self-love. When we have a strong sense of self-love, we understand our own value and treat ourselves in a loving way. It is NOT being selfish, rather it is connecting to the love energy that gives us life and expresses in our thoughts and lives, so we live with our own cups overflowing. We can intentionally create habits and practices that contribute to our physical, emotional, and mental health.