Newsletter – October 2024

Dear Friends,

Rising up, Renewed in Spirit.

Spring has arrived here in the  southern hemisphere, and the words: Behold, all things are made new, seem most fitting as we sense the subtle change in the weather and see new growth on the plants and trees in our gardens.  What is the reason or cause of this waking up in nature?  I believe that very importantly it comes about, not only with an increase in temperature, but, having been resting, or hibernating, nature and humans are now ready and recharged from within.

Rest—stopping and just being—plays a very important role in life.  As the season of Spring unfolds, we see plants and trees almost resurrected, as it were, transforming with green leaf buds and new blossoms. In the property next to my home, there are now 21 little lambs, so full of life, and it is a joy to watch them gambol about.

The story of that legendary bird, the phoenix, reminds us of renewal, when it is told that it enjoyed immortality that had to be renewed with fire every 500 years.  When we hear of the phoenix, it is associated with resurrection, triumph over challenges, and renewal—that which rises out of the ashes.  One can read about this legendary bird, and St. Clement, Bishop of Rome, in his epistle to the Corinthians, in Chapters 25 and 26, used this bird as an emblem of resurrection.

In order to emerge renewed, the phoenix had to stop and rest; and it was in the resting that purification occurred—it was in a sense reborn. Rest brings us to a place of purification because as we rest in Truth, our understanding is purified. Focused on truth, and through or from, this expansion of conscious understanding, we rise up again. We are renewed by knowing the truth, and literally “set free” from the bondage of limited thinking and believing.

We find ourselves set free from the burdens of life (often created by ourselves) as we allow the truth from within to rise up and live us on purpose. This truth lies dormant while we play around looking for something more exciting in life—until we have nowhere else to turn. Our way of living needs to sacrificed—ashed—and then we emerge transformed and renewed.  We have an opportunity to wake up and give over to God, to truth, by giving up our human angst and rest in WHAT IS.

While some may have personal challenges, let us see them for what they are. Maybe changes are facing  us, personally and in the workplace. All of these are opportunities to rise up anew. Yet our rising up occurs after we have taken time to BE STILL; after we have taken time, deep within, to commune with the Inner Presence; after we have taken time to stop and LISTEN.

At Spring time each year, we see nature seemingly coming back to life. The really vibrant colours of blossoms on the trees; the  green of leaves against the blue sky. All this arising in a seeming wondrous way, yet all coming from the One Source of all creation.  The sap is not only rising in the plants, and trees, it is rising in us too, as we practice awareness. And through this renewed awareness, we too, rise up like the phoenix from the ashes.  As we embrace the truth—the truth within each individual, within all creation, we rise up, renewed in Spirit.

In Closing…..
Why should we fear to wait upon God with a perfect willingness that the Holy Spirit manifest itself through us as it will, knowing that, whatever the manifestation, it will be good – all good to us and to those around us.

Oh, for more men who have the courage to abandon themselves utterly to infinite will – men who dare let go every human being for guidance, and, seeking the Christ within themselves, let the manifestation be what He (God) wills.

Such courage might possibly mean and probably would mean at first, a seeming failure, a going down from some apparent success that had been in the past.  But the going down would only mean the mighty coming up, a most glorious resurrection of God into visibility through you in His own chosen way, right here and now.  The failure, for the time, would only mean a grand, glorious success a little later on.

Turn to the divine presence within yourself.  Seek Him. Be still before Him.  Wait upon God quietly, earnestly, but constantly and trustingly, for days, weeks, if need be.  Let Him work in you, and sooner or later you will spring up into a resurrected life of newness and power that you never before dreamed of.
H. Emilie Cady – Lessons in Truth

Bountiful blessings,
 Mallory