Dear Family and Friends,
“But if a man be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between him and vulgar things. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these envoys of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature
As mentioned in my talk this past Sunday, if we would take the time to stop, look, and listen, there are various ways in which nature is a teacher and a reminder of each one of our own true nature.
What I failed to mention is abundance. There is an abundance of grains of sand on our beaches, stars in the sky, moonlight, sunlight, and sunsets. At the top of Sunday’s service, Rev Cheryl spoke of her expected unexpected income she received, and I joked that I was still awaiting mine. For those that don’t know, I was joking. I am acutely aware of my abundance of blessings that continually show up, which are financial and otherwise. The intent of the expected unexpected income program is that each of us that enrolls in the program realizes the gifts which have already been given and perhaps we haven’t taken the time to notice.
Every Sunday, I receive a gift, and this Sunday was no different in that it began at my favorite place in Las Vegas (LVCSL). After service, Rev Cheryl, myself, and some other dear friends shared a theatre play date which used to be on Tuesday evenings which this year is Sunday afternoons. This past Sunday was the season’s first play at the Smith Center, and it began with a show called the Prom. Las Vegas CSL could have had a commercial in the middle of the show because it certainly spoke to what we teach. I won’t spoil it for those that might see it.
Still, in summary, the show is about unity, unity not being uniformity, love, and inclusivity. There was laughter, tears of joy, and tears of sadness, and it was just another way in which I love to play. I received “unexpectedly” a glass of bubbly.
Then we went to lunch and received the gift of a late lunch (dunch is what Rev Cheryl and I call it) at a very cool new restaurant. Right before we wrapped up our time together, a beautiful couple that sat next to us gave us a compliment on how nice it is to see how we connect as friends. If it gets any better than that, bring it on because it is one thing to feel and know the blessing and a whole other level when others notice.
What can I say? I am a “lucky” soul to be a part of a philosophy that teaches me to live my best life. That encourages me to study nature and realize that nature and I are one; therefore, nature has the same qualities that each of us has, and there is nothing unexpected about the Universe, Spirit, and The Divine always supplying me with all it has. I just have to accept it, and because it is my truth, it is the truth of everyone reading this and those that are not.