The gift of sacred marriage is one of God’s greatest blessings. In today’s world, the understanding of sacred marriage has been limited by concepts and customs that were created in an earlier age. Today, at the cusp of humanity’s transformation into a planet of light, the nature of all relationships, including those of sacred marriage, are being raised to a new level of consciousness and awareness.

In God’s reality, all is One and all individual souls are part of the One that is God. From the perspective of our individual, human consciousness, we often feel alone and long for connection, companionship, and fulfilling relationships. The aloneness that we feel is a part of the consciousness of individuation that humanity has evolved since taking physical form, and at the current time in our evolution, there is now a much greater possibility to move beyond this to tap into the depth of god’s love through our relationships and connections with others.

What makes more possible now in human relationships is related to the expansion of spiritual light on the Earth, which has accelerated humanity’s transformational process. This influx of light has begun to awaken the hearts, minds and bodies of many people who are beginning to have a direct experience of god’s love and light. This kind of direct experience can transform a life, and can heal that which may have felt impossible to heal.

In previous eras, the nature of sacred marriage was connected with duty, or related to practical necessities. Nowadays, as human relationships transform and become more conscious, the nature of sacred marriage enters a whole new domain of possibility that is related to two souls who become One in God, without releasing their individuality or unique identities.

This new form of relationship is the culmination of humanity’s transition process, first from beings of light in the spiritual realms, who then took physical form while retaining their connection to the One… and then as increasingly physical beings, who became immersed in matter and became less aware of the spirit. Now, the circle is completing so that souls who attained the maximum individuation and separated consciousness are beginning to awaken to the remembrance of spirit.

when a soul begins to reconnect with their divine origins, a whole new world opens up before them. Many \”needs\” that were felt from the ego level of personality begin to disappear once the soul realizes its divine connection with the source of all love. As the soul begins to relax into its spiritual identity, doorways begin to open both emotionally and on the spiritual levels. A divine flow begins that weaves the threads of God’s love and light into all aspects of daily life. Relationships take on a new brilliance and fullness, and there is less ego attachment which promotes the open exchange of greater levels of spiritual light.

As more souls begin to reconnect with their divine origins, the possibilities for relationships multiply exponentially. Love becomes the guiding force which breaks through all barriers of fear from the ego level of the self, and takes on a life of its own. It can be said that in a divine partnership, two become One within God. In such a divine partnership, two souls come together in surrender to God’s will, which directs the relationship.

A sacred marriage comes about when two souls are guided through their love for each other, to join their hearts, minds, bodies and daily lives together into a new entity that is greater than either individual alone. A sacred marriage bond creates a synergy and a blessing that radiates outward to the world, and that can be seen and felt tangibly as the presence of light and love.

Sacred marriage exists in all cultures and religions, for it is not the beliefs or customs related to as marriage which create its sanctity, but rather the sacred intentionality of the participants. In today’s world which sees both the dissolution of many marriages, and also much pain and confusion about the nature of intimate relationships, there is little guidance or information available to help those who wish to enter into such a partnership.

Sacred marriage requires an ongoing commitment from each participant, to love fully each day, and to release ego attachments and negativity that would cloud communication and create disharmony within the relationship. This kind of commitment is in essence a spiritual one, which brings the soul into alignment with God’s love and divine purpose for that soul. Sacred marriage is a blessing and a gift, which models the way home, to a place and time when all of humanity lives in sacred relationships with each other and with all of life.

About The Author:
Mashubi Rochell is a spiritual counselor and the founder of World Blessings, an online spiritual support community for people of all faiths. For more on spiritual relationships and sacred marriage, please see the Relationships section on WorldBlessings.net

When one has a larger family (in order to keep peace, harmony, and sanity), structure and self-discipline become almost mandatory for all parties therein. In addition, having come from an abusive past, dissention of any kind threw mom into a tailspin. Perhaps as a result, she was always teaching about what love is and anything less was never going to be acceptable. Though, her plan of defense accomplished multiple purposes at the same time; keeping both house and home together for however the Lord might call upon our family next.

And being that mom also had the gift of teaching, one always knew there was purpose and benefit in her rules. The lessons that constituted our daily chores went something like this …

People tend to be polite, not only to others they do not like but even to those that actually make them angry. They’ll even work at it, as to how to remove themselves from a situation in which they really feel like exploding. And, most generally, that is considered to be a good thing, to maintain one’s composure amidst adversity. However, they tend to take those bottled up frustrations home with them, then take it out on ones they love the most; which makes no sense. Why would you work harder toward giving a right response to people you don’t even care about than you do when upset with those you love? And, why would you want to keep hurting the people you really love and need?

Family is to stick together, to love each other, and to be there for each other. When you make family your enemy, you will always eventually lose. Besides, you may need them to be there for you, some day.

It is never ever ok to hurt the people you love. Acts of unkindness would be responded to with penalty and fighting met with even further resistance; no exceptions.

1.) Part of being a valuable member to society is to take responsibility for your own actions, instead of leaving whatever mistake or mess you make for others to have to deal with. And, not only is it not very loving to expect mom to be your maid but, in the real world, there will be no one to fix your messes or mistakes.

So, a good place to begin learning accountability is this … if you make a mess, it is yours to clean up. In fact, this doesn’t even count as a chore. This is your responsibility as a person, in addition to chores.

2.) Laziness is an ugly spirit, void of love; exemplary of one’s lack of wanting to be a participant of the whole. Not only is it unkind and sometimes hurtful to neglect at other’s expense, but it is also dirty, unsanitary, and thoughtless of anyone besides themselves. Therefore, it will not be tolerated.

Every child is to have one age appropriate chore assignment per day, at least week days (whether that assignment includes more than one chore or not); excluding the kitchen.

Then, if an additional family project is needed, it might be taken up on a weekend (everyone pitching in); wherein mom made working together fun and the job got done faster, too.

Being a part of a family is not something you can opt out of, just because you don’t feel like it. Parents don’t even get to take a day off from being a parent when they’re sick. So, a child’s lack of initiative is not be a viable excuse. If said chore is not done on the given day, unless otherwise pardoned, that child could be gotten out of bed at mid-night, if need be, to get it done.

Note: the daily chore should be lighter provided item #3 is also implemented.

3.) Learning to work as a team is a necessary tool for life.

Upon age of ability to learn, every child would have a part in the preparation of meals and or clean up of the kitchen; without complaint.

Those who participate in the preparation of a given family meal may or may not be excused from cleanup, depending upon fairness and necessity.

Children may have the option of choosing their particular kitchen chore(s), provided that works toward the benefit of the whole; final decision is up to adult(s), which decision may or may not alter daily and may also depend upon an individual child’s need to learn a new task.

No one is excused from kitchen detail, unless otherwise pardoned, until the entire project is complete. Therefore, it is to the benefit of the whole to help each other toward completing needed tasks. And, it goes much more smoothly when everyone makes up their mind to get along.

4.) If children have such excessive penned up energy but what they can’t seem to stop picking on each other or a general running off of the mouth which seems to be controlling them, these precious angels must have a serious physical problem they need our help with.

Therefore, except a stronger response is deemed necessary, each and every verbal and physical unkindness will be met with an additional chore that is to commence being accomplished from the moment so assigned. Of course, this law of consequences is only offered as a means to help them work off some of that penned up energy.

In such event, the first chore is to be minute. Then, if the behavioral issue is not immediately resolved, kindly let them know they can complete another chore when they get that one done. This procedure is to be continued, slightly increasing the degree of pressure, with each offense, until a task can be completed (from start to finish) without sounding off or otherwise having acted out.

The remarkable thing is that most children catch on really fast. And, you thought it couldn’t be done.

About The Author:
Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, columnist, and Senior Writer for the Storytime Tapestry Newsletter. Her latest adventures include her new website Glimpses of God http://iam.homewithGod.com/glimpsesofgod/ unveiling mysteries via scriptural methods of Bible study. Joyce’s writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other. This article was sponsored by: http://www.articles4reprint.com

If God is truly God and in control of all things, then the battles we face, whatever they be, are really only in the mind.

The devil is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The only power the devil has is to roar, except we give him power over our minds.

Whatever we hope to accomplish, by carrying weights and burdens, is futile. These are yokes God never intended us to carry. The battle belongs to the Lord. In some instances, we have to let go before He is free to take over.

But whatever the case may or may not be, there are times our minds become so worn that Satan seems stronger than we are. In times like these, our vision isn’t clear. Satan is never stronger than God and we are His heirs.

Sometimes, remembering truths, we have already attained, is helpful in calling Satan a liar. My favorite remedy, that works even when I have no strength of my own, is to block out the devil’s lies and go to God in worship.

Once, I was so far gone that I didn’t know the problem and couldn’t think of a Bible verse. My brain was about fried. I was so low, had no idea why, and couldn’t seem to pull myself out of it.

So, I made up this horrible song, with whatever words came next. It started like this … \”The devil is a liar. His pants are on fire. The cow jumped over the moon.\” (Pretty lame, huh?)

Not didn’t feel like singing at all, there was no song in my heart. I couldn’t have worshiped if I’d tried. Though, I kept singing, and singing, until the words gradually transferred to words like \”Jesus is the Victory\”.

Still not feeling the words, however repetitious it was, I kept singing until the words gradually began to take on power. With each degree that I could better feel God’s presence, the burden felt lighter and lighter until the evil presence was gone.

There’s a song about things fading in His presence and the things of this world growing strangely dim, in the light of His glorious face … absent in body, present in spirit. Sometimes, God allows such circumstances to call us to take a vacation; to go away and just be with Him.

Once, I think I spent a whole week at escaping with God. It was so wonderful; I didn’t want to come back. It is a guaranteed fix for stress related high blood pressure.

About The Author:
Joyce C. Lock is a published author, poet, columnist, and Senior Writer for the Storytime Tapestry Newsletter. Her latest adventures include her new website Glimpses of God http://iam.homewithGod.com/glimpsesofgod/ unveiling mysteries via scriptural methods of Bible study. Joyce’s writings encourage us in our relationship with God and each other. This article distribution was sponsored by: http://www.floweristic.com/index.html

The Catholic Church and its thousand-year history conjure strong feelings in many and add to the luster of the most stable organizational body in the history of mankind.

As the largest religion in the world, most people have an idea of what being a Catholic entails. Unfortunately, most non-Catholics are wrong in their attitudes about Catholicism.

I was not raised a Catholic, but rather raised and baptized as a Baptist. As a rule of thumb, Baptists don’t typically like Catholics. In-fact, the only thing I knew about Catholics was that they were all heretics who worshipped Mary and were going to hell. That and my dad’s time in Catholic schools had left him with an odd obsession with penguins.

As I got older, my dad would take me to mass on Sundays when my mother was not around. It was the weirdest thing I had ever experienced, and it was not long before I began to wonder whether some of the ideas I had been taught might have been wrong.

2000 Years is a Long Time

Many of the faulty ideas I was taught about Catholicism are widely held beliefs by most Protestants. These beliefs seemed to be based more off ignorance about what Catholics actually believe.

The church has a long and rich history, that can be traced all the way back to the time of Jesus. This rich history has provided the church with sufficient time to learn and grow in their faith, as well as plenty of time to make mistakes.

As honorable as the goals of the faithful tend to be, the church has always been run by people. Ordinary people are perfectly capable of making mistakes and the church has made their fair share.

Ironically, these misdeeds are still held against the Catholics by other Christian denominations; religions that are supposed to teach forgiveness and understanding still refuse to look past 1000-year-old crimes.

No organization is immune to scandal or mismanagement. In 2000 years, the church has certainly made its share of bad decisions. Anyone with a basic knowledge of European history is aware that for hundreds of years, the church had ongoing influence over many governments.

The sort of power wielded by the church lead to several disastrous decisions, that have long led to an unfavorable amount of criticism as a result of those past deeds. From these feelings, many misconceptions have arisen about what the Catholic Church teaches.

Misconceptions Abound

Many Protestants have formed opinions based on information they received from sources outside of the Catholic Church. Catechism is a class offered by the church to anyone interested in learning more about the church, either out of curiosity or a desire for conversion. These classes are dedicated to making sure people are aware of the truth about Catholicism.

Mary And The Saints

The most common misconception about the Catholic Church is that its members worship Mary and the Saints. This is generally attributed to the fact that Catholics pray to them.

Prayer is the act of speaking to God. This is something all Christians do without reluctance. Many ask for help or guidance in their lives and offer thanks for the good things that come about in their lives.

Catholics recognize this as prayer. They also speak to Mary and the Saints. This can be done for the same reasons as prayer, but it is not the same thing.

Saints have an area of faith that they are specialized. When Catholics are having difficulties with a specific issue, they go to the specialist and ask for their guidance.

We can see applicable examples of this in businesses all over the world. Typically, a CEO of a company oversees all aspects of the business. Underneath the CEO are department heads that specialize in maintaining operations in distinct departments.

While it is effective to go to a CEO with any question about the company and he will be able to offer assistance, sometimes it is just as easy to speak to the person in charge of the department related to your concern.

It does not mean that you have any less faith in the head guy; it just means that you realize that there are alternatives. No Catholic prays exclusively to saints. It is merely something that is done in addition to other practices.

Many Protestants also have questions about the Catholic Church’s admiration of Mary, claiming it is excessive. She gave birth to and raised Jesus, and was probably the most important influence on His life on Earth. She then had to watch as he was tortured and killed. That earned her the respect that Catholics give her.

Confession

Many non-Catholics are curious about the practice of confession. Catholics believe that the act of confessing their sins to another enables them to receive forgiveness for those sins.

This is based on biblical accounts calling on man to confess his sins and he shall be forgiven. When Christ granted the gift of the Holy Spirit into humanity, he granted us the gift of forgiveness.

Sitting alone in a quiet room and saying you are sorry for something in your head, does no invoke a true feeling of contrition. It takes no effort to think that you feel bad about something. It requires true faith and courage to list all of your faults and misdeeds out loud to a representative of the lord.

Regular confession not only provides a Catholic with the ability to find absolution, but it also demands self-reflection. You are much more likely to recognize shortcomings in yourself if you actually have to think about your actions on a regular basis.

Purgatory

The idea of purgatory is never explicitly mentioned in the bible, neither is the trinity. These are ideas that are inferred from biblical passages.

Purgatory is viewed as a place filled with people waiting for entry into heaven. I blame Dante and his Divine Comedy for this misconception. Purgatory is more like a process than a location.

The bible clearly states that nothing defiled or impure can enter the kingdom of heaven. People are not pure when they die. Purgatory is the cleansing process that allows them to enter heaven.

In Closing

Catholicism focuses on improving your relationship with God as well as your fellow man. Helping others understand the true meaning of our faith is important.

These are not the only misconceptions about the Catholic Church. The role of the Pope as the head of the church is a frequently disputed office as well. Protestants don’t accept our assertions that we do not worship the Pope, but it is true that we simply respect him as the leader of our faith.

Catholicism is not the big bad wolf that many Protestants believe that it is. I was once led down the path of paranoia about Catholicism, but I chose not to take the word of outsiders about the nature of the faith. As a convert to Catholicism, I am still surprised by the common misperceptions people harbor towards such an honorable faith.

About The Author:
Lindsie Andrews lives and worships in Stillwater, Oklahoma. To obtain Christian freebies designed for Christians (Protestant and Catholic) then please visit http://www.ChristianityFreebies.com. They also have free offers for Bible related products, software, books, music and more.

Daily inspiration helps us to stay focused on God’s love, no matter what else is going on in our daily lives. In today’s world there is such a high level of challenge and rapid change happening for most of us, that it has become even more important to find a way to stay connected with our hearts, and with our inner connection with spirit.

There are many ways we can tap into our inner connection with God and spirit; however it is not always simple to do so. The demands of daily life can be compelling, and can cause us to forget our connection to spirit. A regular spiritual practice of meditation or prayer can be very helpful in focusing thought, energy and intention towards God. Even five or ten minutes a day can have a significant beneficial impact on the entire day.

Why Daily Inspiration is so Important Now

The process of spiritual transformation involves the release of everything within us that has been out of balance and out of harmony with God’s love. This process is happening individually and for humanity as a whole at this time. The problems manifesting in our world are an expression of this imbalance, and are being manifest now in order to be transformed.

At this time on the Earth there is a great deal of negative energy surfacing and releasing into the atmosphere of the planet. This is related to the process of global purification that is happening as humanity’s consciousness evolves towards greater connection with spirit, and as the presence of God’s light strengthens on the Earth. The spiritual awakening that is beginning to happen for humanity is illuminating within all of us everything that has been kept separated from God’s love.

These energies that are releasing through the process of purification affect all of us, especially sensitive souls who are attuned to the spiritual levels of reality. Staying connected to a source of spiritual nourishment and inspiration each day helps us to avoid getting immersed in the negative energies that are present, and helps us to feel nourished and sustained during difficult times.

Some people feel these negative energies physically or in their consciousness, some people feel this energy at night in their dreams. Many people now are feeling these energies emotionally, and are not aware that what they are feeling is related to much a larger process than their own individual emotional challenges.

Our individual spiritual healing journey is connected with the larger journey of transformation that is happening for all of humanity. It is not always possible to discern what energy is our own personal healing, and what is related to the larger collective healing process of humanity.

When you become aware of difficult emotions or energies, there are three things that can help to move these out of your body and consciousness.

1. Be aware of what you are feeling at any given moment.

2. Release any judgment or fear associated with the emotions or energies you are experiencing

3. Ask God to transform and transmute the energies and emotions.

During the process of purification it is essential to stay connected with God, with daily inspiration, and with others of like mind and like heart who can share the journey with us and help to strengthen our love and faith. It is not easy to overcome old habits that created unconsciousness and a disconnection from our hearts. Support is needed, and daily spiritual practice and inspiration are the nourishment which sustains us.

Your willingness and commitment to stay connected with God’s love brings many rewards such as greater inner peace, more equanimity during times of challenge, and growing sense of confidence in your ability to feel God’s love. You are also helping the Earth and other people around you, because we are all connected. When you are radiating love and light, and focusing your attention on God’s love, then your presence has a beneficial impact on those around you.

In reaching out to God each day, focusing our hearts on receiving more of God’s love, we are able find a pathway through the challenges of life today. Even during times of difficulty, a new doorway begins to open, towards a new possibility for ourselves and for humanity.

About The Author:
Mashubi Rochell is a spiritual counselor and the founder of World Blessings, an online spiritual support community which offers free resources for daily inspiration at http://www.worldblessings.com/inspiration