How many of us realize that the words we speak are power? Every word we speak has the power to lift someone up or put them down. Every word we speak has the power to help someone or hinder someone. With the words we speak we hold the power to encourage or discourage, to offer a glimmer of hope or even to destroy hope.

Some of us don’t realize the power of words or the things we say to other people. And, for that matter, some of us don’t realize the words we speak to our own selves within our own minds. Sadly, we take our words for granted and many of us simply fail to think before we vocalize our words. Words are powerful and with them we can not only lift others up or put them down but with those words we can also do the same to our own selves.

It is my belief that words create energies. Negative words create negative energies both for ourselves and for others and positive words create positive and creative energies both for ourselves and for others. I think each of us should stop and ask ourselves what kind of energy we are creating with our words and, preferably, before we vocalize those words. Think how different things might be in the world and in our lives if we stopped to think about the power of the spoken word before we spoke.

Sadly, many of us today take our words for granted and we think that words are “cheap” and/or meaningless. But, the words we speak are not cheap or meaningless in my opinion. To the contrary they are to be valued and meaningful because words create energies that effect not only others but our own selves.

Think of the words we speak to ourselves. You know, those little words that roll over and over in our own minds. It’s called “Self Talk.” What are we telling ourselves about ourselves? In our self talk are we inspiring ourselves to be the best we can be as human beings? Is our self talk one of almost constant blame, regret, sorrow, or put down of self? Or is our self talk encouraging, positive, hopeful, forgiving, and aspiring? Our inner self talk is important because what we tell ourselves about ourselves helps for our perceptions and intentions. All of that self talk helps to form and determine our behavior, our emotions, and even more of our thoughts. Is our self talk positive and creative? Or is it negative and self destructive?

Words are important. Words should be meaningful not meaningless. The best words should lift others up, give them hope, and inspire them because in so doing we also lift our selves up, give ourselves hope, and inspire ourselves to be even more than we are right now. And isn’t that what it’s all about? Striving to become something more, something better than we are right now?

How many of us realize how our words effect other people? How many of us perceive the effect of our words on others? Are we blind to the effects? Do we care about the effects our words have on others and/or our own selves? Is life intended to be all about cheap and meaningless words? Don’t you think there is already enough negativity in the world? So why would you want to add to that negativity with more negative energy creating words?

I’ve heard many people express that they’d like to change the world but in the same sentence express to me how powerless they are to change it. Really? How about starting to change the world by starting to speak consciously and with purpose and intention instead of habitually and without thought? How about watching the words you speak and speaking as many words as you can that create positive energies in the world? How about setting your own self as an example for others to emulate in positive ways? Isn’t that helping to change the world? I think it is.

I do not think that there is one person alive today on this world who is powerless! Oh yes, you might not have political or monetary power but we ALL have other kinds of power! And, one of those “other kinds of power” that we hold is the power of the spoken word! With that very power we can inspire or hinder. With that power we can create or destroy. With that power we can give hope or steal away hope. And with that power we can lift up or we can put down!

How do we change the world? One person at a time beginning with our own selves. If we consider our words before we speak them we do so because we realize the power of the spoken word, OUR spoken word. If we make the conscious choice to speak positive and creative words then we are refusing to add to the already overwhelming amount of negativity in the world today. Isn’t that helping to change the world? I think it is.

I encourage you to think about your words before you vocalize them. I encourage you to try to envision the effects that your spoken word may have on others and on your own self before you vocalize them. And, most especially, I encourage you to assume responsibility for the POWER that you hold, the Power of the Spoken Word, YOUR WORD. Don’t be a part of the gross and overwhelming negative energy we have in the world today. Make the conscious choice NOT to be a part of that but to be a part of that which gives hope and inspiration in the world. Our life journeys are far from being about “me.” They are really about “US.” Consider what kind of energy you are putting out in the world. You have POWER to change it if it’s not positive and creative. You are NOT a powerless being! In fact, I believe, we are very POWERFUL beings and most of us never even realize it.

This is not to say that we can not give,
Others our advise or insights.
This is not to say that we cannot,
Express our feelings about the choices,
Others have made.
But, we must realize,
That ultimately,
The person must be allowed to make their own choices,
And we must respect them.

For many,
This is a hard thing to do,
Because we want the best for our loved ones.
They make their choice,
And we feel they have made the wrong choice.
So we do not agree with their choice,
But we must realize that we cannot,
Make choices for them.
Others must be allowed to make their own choices,
Even if we strongly disagree with those choices.

To rob a person of their right to make choices,
Is to place them in a place of enslavement.
It is an attempt to make them dependent on us,
And that is a wrong choice,
And a poor intention.
We have no right to rule over others.
We have no right to deny them,
Their power to make choices for themselves.

No matter how difficult it is,
No matter how much we disagree with them,
No matter how much we yearn for them to make another choice,
We still must respect their choices.
And we still must allow others to chose for themselves.
We can express to them our feelings.
We can point out possible consequences to them.
We can point out how their choices may effect others.
But, we cannot deny them their right to make choices for themselves.

It is often difficult,
And disappointing.
But, in the end,
We must honor the choices of others.

The successful church of the 21st Century will be a church of many colors. It’s membership will consist of peoples from every nation, every tongue, and every color. It will draw it’s theology from all the worlds great spiritual traditions, finding commonalties instead of focusing on differences. It will incorporate these commonalties of religious tradition into it’s own unique ideology, ritual, and practice. A successful church of the 21st Century will, thus be, truly Interfaith and not just simply Interdenominational.

A successful church of the 21st Century will be a place of spiritual learning and discovery. It will be a gathering point for all members of the community. It will promote the development of individual theology rather than enslave it’s members with the burdening yoke of archaic doctrines and meaningless rituals. Such a church will be a home for both rich and poor, young and old, firm and infirm. It will be a physical place in which people meet people but, more importantly, a place in which human spirits meet human spirits.

The successful church of the 21st Century will be a place for the gathering of family, meaning, both family in the traditional sense and family in the nontraditional sense. It will be a place in which traditional couples commit to each other and it will also be a place in which nontraditional couples commit to each other. It will be a place for ALL people and, thus, the successful church of the 21st Century will be a place of INclusiveness and not one of EXclusiveness.

A successful church of the 21st Century will actively and purposefully reach out to the excluded, to the marginalized, and to the cast out in global society. It will reach out unto both “saint” and “sinner” alike. It will be a place of rejuvenation and refuge for the tired and hopeless. And such a church will be a great beacon of Light in a world that is becoming increasingly dark.

The successful church of the 21st Century will address the issues which concern peoples daily lives and the issues which concern the world at large. Clergy in such a church will come down out of their ivory towers realizing that “yes” they are in the world but not of the world BUT they must be proactive in the world nevertheless. The spiritual leaders of such a church in the 21st Century will not run and hide their heads in the sand but they shall stand courageous as they stand up for the rights of every human being on the face of planet earth.

The successful church of the 21st Century will incorporate both modern and new music. It will draw both from tradition and non-tradition. It will mix the old with the new and the new with the old. It will draw it’s teachings from not only the old but also from the new revelations because it will very much realize that spirituality and spiritual growth, like creation, are ongoing things not yet finished.

Finally but not lastly, The successful church of the 21st Century will be a place for giving, sharing, and for taking. It will stay far from a place of hoarding. It’s clergy will be true ministers and shepherds, both meaning, “teacher” and not “overlord”. It will be a holy and sacred place and it shall be a place overflowing with spiritual enlightenment and unconditional love. And in such a church of the 21st Century there shall be no fear because in such a place the universal Law of Love shall be truly active.

This is the church that will emerge in the 21st Century. This is the church that will survive into the next millennium and the next. Prejudice and exclusion shall have no place in it. Hatred and self righteousness shall find no where to hide within it. Greed and deception will flee from it and such a church will lead humanity into a true Brotherhood and Sisterhood of Light.

To some of you this may seem but only a simple fantasy but alas it is already dawning in many churches, temples, mosques, and synagogues all around the world:

I see beyond appearances,
Knowing that they are often illusions.
I look for Truth,
And I do not look through a glass darkly,
But I see clearly,
When I make a conscious choice,
To allow Light to flow through me,
And permeate my whole being.

I am a conscious being.
A being created in the image of my Creator,
Who is Light.

I am a passageway for Light,
Not just any light,
But for that great Light,
That has created and maintains all things.

I am like a window,
Through which Light flows,
Out of me and to the whole world.

I am a conscious being.
A being created in the image of my Creator,
Who is Light.

As I consciously make the choice,
To open myself to Light,
Light begins to flow through me,
And permeate my being.

I feel renewed,
And healed.
I feel whole,
And I am empowered,
By this Light.

This Light illuminates me,
From within myself,
And it shines forth!
Nothing can stop it,
Nothing can diminish it,
Unless I chose to allow it to.
I am a window,
Through which Light shines,
For all to see!

I am a conscious being.
A being created in the image of my Creator,
Who is Light.

The past, no matter how wondrous or horrific it has been,
Is gone and over.
The future is not yet here,
And we really do not know what it holds for us.

By spending our thoughts on the future and past,
We miss the present moment,
The NOW.
Yet, the present is all we really have,
And the present is all we can do anything about.

By ignoring the present,
We rob ourselves of full awareness.
We fail to live consciously,
And we fail to make choices consciously.

Some call this living in the present moment,
“Mindfulness.”
It’s just another name for,
Conscious Living.

We miss the NOW,
When we put ourselves on autopilot,
By focusing on the past and future.
As a result we fail to make conscious decisions,
Which will bring us the best possible future.

Regarding the past,
When we focus on the past,
We enslave ourselves to it.
There is NOTHING we can do about the past.
There is NOTHING we can do to change it!
The past is the past,
And we need to allow it to be THE PAST!

Focus your thoughts on the present moment.
Realize your present surroundings.
Realize what is going on around you.
Become aware of your thoughts and emotions.
Center yourself on the NOW.
Do not allow old, worn out habitual choices to continue.
Consciously change them and make new ones.
Obviously, the old ones are NOT working are they?

Each of us MUST realize ourselves as something MORE than we think we are.
Each of us must come to the realization, the consciousness,
That we are not merely humans with bodies and spirits,
But that we are amazing beings that are eternal.
Beings with the ability and power to be and to do something more!
We cannot do this or realize this,
For as long as we are focused,
On our past or on our futures.
We can ONLY do this and come to this knowing,
In the present moment of,
The NOW!

I see beyond appearances,
Knowing that they are often illusions.
I look for Truth,
And I do not look through a glass darkly,
But I see clearly,
When I make a conscious choice,
To allow Light to flow through me,
And permeate my whole being.

I am a conscious being.
A being created in the image of my Creator,
Who is Light.

I am a passageway for Light,
Not just any light,
But for that great Light,
That has created and maintains all things.

I am like a window,
Through which Light flows,
Out of me and to the whole world.

I am a conscious being.
A being created in the image of my Creator,
Who is Light.

As I consciously make the choice,
To open myself to Light,
Light begins to flow through me,
And permeate my being.

I feel renewed,
And healed.
I feel whole,
And I am empowered,
By this Light.

This Light illuminates me,
From within myself,
And it shines forth!
Nothing can stop it,
Nothing can diminish it,
Unless I chose to allow it to.
I am a window,
Through which Light shines,
For all to see!

I am a conscious being.
A being created in the image of my Creator,
Who is Light.

Intentions motivate us,
And cause us to act certain ways,
To feel and think certain ways.
Intentions are important!

When we hold intentions rooted in fear,
The opposite of Love,
We have made a poor choice.
In contrast, when we hold intentions rooted in Love,
We have made a good choice.

People wonder what there purpose is on this world.
It’s not hard to figure it out.
It is to be a beacon of light and love,
For the whole world to see.
It is to consciously allow the Light and Love of God,
To come through you to ALL others you encounter.
This is our one common human purpose,
This is God’s intention,
And this should be our intention too.

What is right intention?
Right intention is consciously allowing,
Our choices and actions to come from Love.

Ask yourself what mark you wish to make this day on the world?
Ask yourself what are your intentions.
Let your daily intention be,
To be a reflection of the Divine Light,
Unto all you meet,
Both to those you like and to those you dislike.

Realize that when we find ourselves in bad situations,
It is often the result of our poor intentions.
Change those intentions consciously.
Give yourself new and different intentions.
Intentions are important.
They are what drives us through our day,
And through our lives.

Realize the sanctity of your body.
Realize it to be a sacred temple,
NOT to be worshipped,
But certainly to be respected,
And well cared for.

Your body temple is a sacred gift from the Divine.
Make a commitment today,
To honor the sanctity of all life,
INCLUDING YOUR OWN.

Look in a mirror at your body temple.
Is it in a state of disrepair?
Is it not what you wish it to be?
Is renewal and regeneration required?
You can change it, improve it,
With exercise and right foods.
You can make it better,
No matter what your age.
The body will respond to exercise and healthy foods.
And it will not take long, either!
Make a commitment to renew your body temple,
And make it into something that glorifies,
Not yourself but your Creator.
For you truly and fully are,
A Living Temple!

Realize that the God Force,
That is everywhere,
Permeates your own body as well.
It moves through your body,
Seeking to make you whole and well.
But you must consciously allow it,
And you must drop bad habits,
And replace them with good and healthy ones.

Realize that everything about you,
Is a Sacred Creation!
Realize the Divine has given you,
An amazing mind, a powerful spirit,
And an amazing physical body.
And realize too,
That the Divine has also given you,
The opportunity to express your own,
Divine Nature in physical human form,
As a Sacred Child of the Divine.

In his teachings,
Jesus the Essene taught,
“In my father’s house there are many mansions.”
He was not speaking of golden streets,
And silver palaces.
More accurately,
He was telling us,
That within us are many DIMENSIONS.
And, indeed, within each of us,
Are many Dimensions!
For our minds are of consciousness and emotional dimension,
While our spirits are of the spiritual dimension,
And our Body Temples are of the physical dimension.
Truly, within us (the father’s house),
Are many Mansions (Dimensions)!

Honor and respect your Body Temple
Nourish it and keep it strong and healthy.
Refuse to allow it to deteriorate,
And enter into a state of disrepair and dis-ease.
Keep it as if it is a sacred creation,
Because, in truth, that is exactly what it is.

When we are faced with dis-ease,
We have choices as in anything else.
We can choose to focus our thoughts on our dis-ease,
Or we can make the conscious choice,
To focus our thoughts on healing.

We can focus our thoughts on perfect health,
In body, in mind, and in soul.
And as we focus our thoughts,
We can pray at the same time,
For what is prayer,
But communications with the Divine?

We can make the conscious choice to be in harmony,
With Divine wisdom,
With Divine Life,
And with Divine Love.
Our Creator is our great physician,
Our great healter.

We can consciously allow Divine Life,
To fill every part of our body,
To fill our thoughts,
And to fill our emotions.

We can visualize healing,
And the end of our dis-ease.
We can feel the presence of the Divine,
Above and below us,
All around us,
And even within us.

We can make a conscious choice,
To feel the Divine Love that is given so freely,
And so unconditionally,
By our Creator to each of us.
We can realize ourselves to be part of something,
Much larger than this material life,
For, in truth, we each are part of the Divine Family.

When we consciously chose to connect to God,
We bring ourselves into alignment with his will.
We become self-Less,
And shun selfishness.
We come to the full realization,
That, yes, “I and my father are one.”

God is the source of all life.
He is the source of all healing.
Realize this and then make the conscious choice,
To allow yourself to feel it.

Focus your prayers and your thoughts,
Not on your dis-ease,
But on your healing.
For, everything we see in this physical world,
Once began with a simple thought,
And a simply prayer.

No human life is ever born without
purpose or mission.

And no human life is ever so lost in the darkness (fear) of this world
that it cannot be found and restored by the Light, Love,
which is of the One who created us.

You might think your life a mere mistake.  You might think your life on this world has in some way or for some reason become a mistake.  You may think that you have no purpose or mission in this world.  You might think that yours’ is a life so lost in fear, the true darkness in this world, that you cannot be saved, restored, and renewed.  But you are WRONG!

Your life is NOT a mistake and your life has NOT become a mistake!
Your life is not void of a purpose and a mission!
Your life can and will be restored and renewed when you come to the realization
that God’s Light is Love and with that Love ALL THINGS are possible.

The opposite of love is fear.
Where fear dwells, love will not dwell.
Where love dwells, fear CANNOT dwell.

Love is Light.
Fear is Darkness.
Love is good and sacred.
Fear is the true evil in this world and the next.

[Exert from Rob's forthcoming book "Spiritual Pathways"]