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It starts with the heart 02/14/2012
7 Comments
 
For those of you who don't know, I am a  minister and spiritual leader of a community in Lansing, Michigan. This past Sunday we studied the Beatitudes (Matthew 5) in the Bible. I split up each of the "blessings" and added an interpretation from our theology. Each person got a personal message with the invitation to see how it could apply to their life and spiritual growth process. I decided to take a turn and pick a message. I got the message, "Blessed are those who are pure in heart (Matthew 5:8)." I laughed out loud. I couldn't help it. It fit so perfect into my journey and I could almost see the angels around me smiling and chuckling. Hello---my business is "Get to the HEART of it!" after all, it is heart health awareness month and I am also healing old wounds found in my heart.

The messages I shared were written by Rev. Michael Gladdish. He says, "We know the heart corresponds to the will or love, but what is purity of heart? Where does love get its quality?  The answer is that love gets its quality from truth. To purify something is to wash or cleanse it, or in some cases to refine it so that it does not contain extraneous or contaminating elements. To have a pure heart, therefore, is to be sincere, to love without pretense or hypocrisy, and especially to love what is true, or to put it another way, to let the truth guide us in love."  That is the goal.

I also thought the message was timely for me since it arrived a couple days before Valentine's Day. I typically don't go over board on the holiday--even when being married. However, I am redefining everything in my life and that requires a "spiritual overhaul" and holidays are not exempt from this process. As I open myself up to this process, the Universe is providing amazing connections and healing opportunities. A great connection was made today when helping my roommate celebrate her husband's birthday. This in itself was a redefining moment for February 14th. Another moment was when her husband shared his interest in the quotes found on his daily calendar. He researches the people he doesn't know and on his birthday his calendar had a  from Emanuel Swedenborg, "Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them. When we do good things from this inner desire, there is kindness in everything we think, say, want and do." This inner desire comes from the heart...and today my heart smiled. May you find new and creative ways to share your heart, love and purpose in this world. Heaven is depending on it!!


 


Comments

brenda bates
02/14/2012 8:36pm

I love it.

Reply
Bill Clifford
02/15/2012 12:20am

Dear Jennifer:

I feel compelled to comment on one of your phrases. The comment is not a judgment about your intentions, or even about what you meant. I am commenting about the logical implications of the wording used.

You said: "the Universe is providing amazing connections and healing opportunities."

Without a doubt the Lord is providing you with amazing connections and healing opportunities. That is what He does. But the universe is not synonymous with the "Lord." The Lord is the creator, and therefore can act. The universe was created, and therefore reacts.

The fact that you capitalize the word "universe" and made it cause of action suggest that you were equating it with God or the Lord. But this mode of speaking implies naturalism.

I realize you may be trying to appeal to an audience that is accustom to speaking in this manner, but I find it very disturbing, and feel that it leads away from the Lord rather than to him.

Bill

Reply
Brenda Bates
02/16/2012 1:45pm

We are all responsible for the energy we bring into the room. We are either creating a problem or being the solution. To some that may mean different things.

Even though you have great definitions, you are also showing a belief that is yours. You might even have a following of like minds that would agree with you. You say that you are respecting her in the top sentence; this is a very clever way of covering for yourself. Then you speak your peace. Freedom of speech is great. I also see that you are telling her there is only one way to do it and you must correct her of her error. Change or else. Diplomacy - the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they actually look forward to the trip. You probably didn’t know that correcting someone actually can hurt them, belittle them and create self esteem issues. Was that your intention? I don’t really see it as a way to help her learn what she is to personally learn with the Lord.

What I see is that she is following God the way that God intended her to do so. This is her personal journey. She is trying to speak to those that you are not able to reach, or that are not open to the current teachings of some religions.

There are many words to use to help those that speak a different language and when used can imply the same thing. Would you please provide a dictionary so no one will break your law? Oh wait, it is God’s law that she is to follow and the way you interpret it is just your way. You can’t monitor every thought in all of the people’s heads; you are not the thought police. There are billions of people who are doing it wrong according to your logic, so please get busy and write all those letters to everyone else so it is all equal. Look all over the world. God must have many definitions. It looks like semantics is the issue. You took offense. It looks like you took offense to “Your” definition of what she was saying. You interpreted it. She can’t show up to you any other way then you let her. So your intention and focus was to find a flaw? Do people do that to you? If not, then why do you have to stop the message of love with a pointing out the semantics of a capital letter. I thought God created all this, even the universe. I see God in everything in our universe. I look at a rock and I see a creation of God, I look at a flower in bloom and I see a creation of God. God is the Universe, God is in everything. So if you want me to tell God that he is not in all of those things, I will send a prayer to Him so that he can have you straighten it out. Accept her as she is or watch her leave. Sometimes loving someone doesn’t mean you have to right.

Reply
Bill Clifford
02/17/2012 2:20am

Dear Brenda and Jenn:

Please accept my apologies. It was never my intention to give offense.

Words convey ideas and affections. Both have consequences. When we write, the ideas and affections convey are not always what we intended and hope for. Sometimes the fault is in what we said. Sometimes it is in the mind of the person reading or hearing them.

God is in everything. And I am glad you an see Him in His creation. But He is not the Universe. As Swedenborg would say, God is in all creation (space and time) and apart from all creation. The Creator and creation, while intertwined, should not be confused.

I am not saying that you (or Jenn) confuse God with the universe. I have no idea what either of you actually think. I was, and am, only trying to point out the logical implication of particular words used. I was not trying to judge either of you.

Again, please accept my apologies.

Brenda Bates
02/16/2012 12:06pm

As one awakens, there is a growth of learning the various definitions to words. This makes a world of difference - a difference between your world and another’s world. Instead of just being right, learning what someone else really means to say will create a greater rapport of communication, respect, understanding and love without offense being taken by either person. Sometimes the reason people say what they do is because they know of a different meaning and that doesn't always mean they are right or that you are. It means we are learning to live together and that we are growing. We are mixing our cultures instead of conquering and dividing. There are many roads that lead to the same place. Telling someone that you think they are wrong only makes you stand more alone as an aggressor and not as a peaceful person. Make a choice and begin to understand someone else’s perspective and do not jump to conclusions. This will create a maturity in competence. BBMW

Reply
barbara
02/16/2012 6:38pm

Thank you all for sharing your opinions

Reply
Patricia "Wilson" Perkowski link
02/20/2012 10:18pm

I find this conversation so fascinating and glad it is taking place. Thank you Brenda for the gentle way you are helping Bill understand.

Reply



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