Palm Sunday

Even though I was not a church today, I celebrated my Oneness with God, just as I image the people in the streets did as they welcomed Jesus into their midst. I danced. I sang. I prayed. I laughed. I cried. I opened myself completely to the presence of God. I participated in an Oneness Awakening.

Opening myself is a process of becoming aware of the truth of who I am and the hurts hidden in my soul. In this awareness, I can seek and offer forgiveness to myself and others; thus dying to the illusions of myself. In this dying to my false self, I awaken and transcend into a new life of Oneness.

This is the ongoing process toward an enlightened state of consciousness which Jesus so passionately demonstrated. He is our great way-shower for this process of entering into Oneness with our Creator. He blessed us with this same ability, we must just claim it and open ourselves to this process and this higher state of consciousness.

"I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be One, just as you and I are one: I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me." (John 17:21-23).

Yet another deepening of my relationship with God.

May you all be blessed with an Awakening to your Oneness with God.

Love found in making cookies

Today I was blessed to bake basketball cookies for my daughter's last game as a 8Th grader. She is moving up and my friend, Melissa and I wanted to do something special for the team.

We baked and decorated 30 little basketballs and one big one. We had such a great time reminiscing about the season, thinking about all of the funny happenings at the games, and excited about the girls progress. As we worked, we were completely present and enjoying the art of creating. Each cookie was a labor of love.

I remembered all of the cookies my mom baked for all of my classmates and for all of our family and the cookies she is still baking. These memories brought to surface the love given me as a child, but love I did not appreciate or understand.

Love is a funny thing, expressed in a multitude of ways, but maybe never fully comprehended until you have a repeat experience of your own. The love I feel in baking these cookies is warm and nurturing and freely given, this is a mother's love. What a beautiful awareness at 47 to fully embrace the love of my mom.

© 2010 by Becky Benes
www.onenessoflife.com

Love your enemies

All faith teach the importance of loving our enemies. This a practice I try to implement in my life. I begin by praying for those who have harmed me.

If the transgression is severe and I find it too difficult or painful to pray from them. I begin with a prayer of willingness, "God help me to be willing to pray for the so and so! Then the prayer progresses to "God bless the blanked d blank!" As my heart softens and becomes more pliable, my prayer becomes, "God bless (the name of the enemy)." I know healing is occuring when I can finally pray, "God Bless (name) with all of the blessings and happines I wish for me and my family."

This has been a powerful prayer process for healing and a stepping stone to a spiritual awakening. Try it, It will help.

© 2010 by Becky Benes
www.onenessoflife.com

Begin seeking wisdom when young

Jeffery Moses, in his book, Oneness, reminds us that Buddha said, every young child naturally wants to help others and affect the world in a positive way. Buddha also said, young people ought first focus on their own inner growth. In doing this, they will have what is required emotionally, mentally and spiritually for true success in life.

It is important for the young to learn basic knowledge in humanities, reading, writing, science, and life skills. However, it is also important to include studies of world religions and to incorporate practices of prayer and mediation into their lives. In so doing, the children will be aware of the oneness of all people and have a basic foundation in spiritual growth.

"He who, even as a young student, applies himself tot he doctrine of truth, illuminates this world like the moon set free from the clouds" Buddhism, Dham, 382.

This is great information for me as I try to raise my two daughters. I love reading them passages from all faith traditions and introducing them to people from different cultures, religions and nationalities. I believe this is one of my greatest gifts to them.

Awaken

Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.

Carl G. Jung

Spend a few minutes each day in the silence, in nature, taking deep breaths. Just this exercise will begin your inner journey.

You will awaken.

Process for awakening

Reading the various stories in sacred texts and about the great mystics, I am always looking for a deeper meaning, a message of some sort to help me to grow spiritually. What I have found is their stories seem to be a template for our inner journey into the Kingdom of God-God realization-inspiration.

Several of them seem to have a common thread or process which the characters go through to experience an awakening to the Spirit of God.

• Step one: They are open to the call or the invitation from God-the still small voice.
• Step two: They say "Yes" even when the call seems impossible and/or makes no sense.
• Step three: They confirm their insight or call with a spiritually awake person.
• Step four: They take action and become willing to do what it takes to move forward. They clear the mental, physical and spiritual roadblocks.
• Step five: They experience the manifestation of that which was inspired, they awaken to the Spirit of God.

When I am open to this process in my life and follow the steps, my life transforms and I experience the Spirit of God-Creation-Inspiration.
This is a continual process for me, ever reminding me to take time to go to a quiet place, listen, open myself, and allow the presence of God to come in and through me. The experience is magical.