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A Free Will to Love

A Free Will to Love

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Love is a choice, always.

I woke this morning to a glorious sunrise. In a still small voice I heard, “I love you. Will you choose to embrace my love today?” Amazing how each morning our heavenly Father wakes us with the beauty of the skies as if to remind us of the choice we have and the new beginning it can create in our lives. For the future grows out of the present moment.

Love is always a choice. Its voluntary nature makes it powerful and beautiful in our lives and in the lives we give it. Is there any feeling greater than to know that you are truly loved by another? It’s a sincere receiving of care from another that never ends and penetrates the depths of our soul. It’s the greatest gift we can give and receive. If we feel we have nothing to offer, we couldn’t be more wrong. We each are capable of giving the greatest gift one could give, love. And from our place, role, and purpose, whatever they may be on this earth, no one can fill them with love but us.

In this life, we have the “free will” to love or not to. We don’t have much freedom otherwise, we don’t choose when or where we are born, who are parents are, who raises us, our gender, ethnicity, IQ, or genetic makeup. Even our jobs are based on the state of the economy at the time. Some have had good homes, some not. But regardless of all these, we can choose to love or not in the situations we are in and with the people who cross our path. And interestingly, it’s this element of our will that remains with us for all eternity for it is essential for our eternal state, which is one of abiding in love. Thus, the most important expression of our will is our ability to love.

Loving by its definition always come from the “free” will of the giver (and the receiver for that matter), for it can exist in no other form than completely voluntary. Otherwise, it isn’t love but something else. This “free” will experience of this earthly life, under the sovereignty of our perfect Heavenly Father, is serving this purpose, for without an exercise of our “free” will in this realm in this way we couldn’t exist in eternity in love.

In eternity, beyond this earth life yet starting in this earth life within our soul, there is only love. Two opposing things cannot hold the same space at the same time. In the eternal, the domain of our all loving Father, only love abides in souls for it is the creative force behind his harmonious structures and systems, which keep eternity eternal. It is what creates coherence and peace, where the absence of it creates chaos and unrest. Chaos and unrest eventually self-destruct, thus they can’t go on eternally. Thus only those entities of harmony and peace can continue forever, which we are being made into. And love is the creative energy manifesting and sustaining that eternal state.

Our heavenly Father’s most powerful attribute expressed toward us is his perfect love, for this is how his spirit connects and relates to us. If we want to connect to him we must choose to connect to him through his love, for this is the only way we can connect to him. There is no other way; not some ritual, perfect morality, or by default. So he patiently waits for us to choose to love him in return. He is always there with us, but if we decide not to walk in the ways of love we choose not to engage his spirit. So he waits. And if we choose to love Him, then in time we learn we are deciding to love all of his creation.

So it is a love not just for our children, but for all children. It’s a love not just for our pets, but for all animals. It is not just a love for our wellbeing, but for the wellbeing of all. It’s not just being nice, but it desires to care for another soul perfectly. It’s not just a respect and honor with some people some of the time, but with all people all the time. His love is all consuming. It sees all souls and loves all souls with a genuine care and concern. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

We can “love” within limits, but we when we break through those limits we immerse ourselves in the love of our heavenly Father, the love of divinity. By embracing the love of divinity, we become connected to the divine and partakers of the divine. We come into harmony or alignment with it in our mind, soul, spirit, and strength (will), thus grow in accordance with its truths and ways.

Love seems straightforward. But at first it isn’t because many of our thoughts, habits, and automatic responses have been programed in a lack of love. We may feel we love because we love our child or spouse, but I’m finding there is much to know of love and it goes very deep and very wide. Thus, it takes awareness, willingness to learn, persistence, patience, and most of all a desire to change in accordance to its ways. But when we desire it, then our Father is there to help us in every way … for this is what he has been waiting for.

So, how will I proceed this day? Will I choose to forgive or to hold onto pain and seek retribution? Will I choose to exercise understanding and compassion or judgment? Will I choose to see someone as they are today, or hold them to the past? Will I choose to act out of care or convenience? Will I choose to give or to take? Will I choose to change or justify? Will I choose to help or blame? Love heals and unites, thus it’s always the better choice. Of the choices above, when we choose the former we create a better tomorrow for us and others.

Multiple times a day we have choices to make within our personal sphere in this vast universe. What characteristics will our space take on? What do we want to reflect to our heavenly Father and to others? One of love?

Increasing in loving-kindness is a personal endeavor because a growing love comes from the state of our soul, our soul perceptions, and our understanding. Our perfect spirit parent is ready to teach each one of us. Are we listening? Or are we too busy with other things? This too is a choice.

When we choose to lovingly care for others, we are also choosing it for ourselves. And here is a magnificent secret to our lives, if we want to be loved, we must love and choose to do what is loving. So, is there really any other choice to make?

May we all grow in the realm of divine love a little bit more today. We can’t change our lives and the world that has lacked love in a day, but we can one day at a time. Is there any better time to start?


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Come Up Here: A Self-Perfecting Mind

Come Up Here: A Self-Perfecting Mind

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The earth is knocking on the doors of a universal shift. This shift takes us from one age into the next by the awakening of the human mind to a higher level of consciousness or awareness. Awareness is understanding. The awareness is heightened as souls are drawn into the vortex of the Creator’s loving presence. This “drawing in” is a choice for each soul, which arouses from a living faith. Faith is choosing to act on particular beliefs because we trust they will lead to our desires, which when in truth is living. A choice based on our understanding not our current state (sight).

Awakening to this higher frequency of thought means our perceptions are dramatically altered. We begin to see through the spirits of God. (Rev 4:5)

We are not bystanders in this cosmic event. Instead, we affect the timing of our transforming mind by choosing to posses a self-perfecting mind. It’s a mind that prepares and brings us gracefully into the next age. Our mind is a myriad of interworking networks and frameworks determining how we perceive the world and respond, like a collage of algorithms. All our behaviors follow a set of processes and systems determined by how our thoughts are networked together. Our current functions are marred and dysfunctional, thus the need for a renewal. Much like an algorithm that doesn’t produce the right results, our current consciousness doesn’t produce the right results. Therefore, we must choose to have a mind of self-perfecting algorithms. This simply means we choose to grow in goodness, in doing the “right” thing, and in emanating loving kindness to all creation. We choose to love at all times in all situations. If this is our path, our Creator, who has the capability to re-wire our mind, will individually lead us in this endeavor by teaching us through our mistakes thus ever expanding our understanding and awareness, thus self-perfecting.

This governing desire over all our actions opens up our mind to increase in understanding and expand into an abundant reality, for this is the result of acting in truth/love. It’s a mind that allows God’s power to manifest within it because we seek to align to His perfect spirit. Seeking creates upward movement in our thoughts and pulls us out of pre-defined “boxes” of thinking that blind us to a downward path instead of upward. Boxes formed by tradition, religion, culture, societal ways, and convenience. A mind fixed upon seeking truth/love leads the soul out of the “boxes” that keep it from ascending.

In this transforming mind, new perceptions feed new choices that feed further new perceptions. It’s a winding staircase upward.

In the awakening mind, one of the first perceptions to change is how we perceive all living creatures. We start to see them from a perception crafted by a Creator who designed them in perfection. Thus, creations to be loved.

In this understanding, we choose to love them at all times. Souls choose love when they have the faith that if they act in loving ways it will produce good results as well as the fulfillment of their desires.

A fundamental characteristic of love is that is voluntary for the giver and receiver. It isn’t forced upon either, but something that must be willingly given and received. The nature of this tender affection is that it’s gentle, meek, and patient, and in its fullness there is nothing more powerful. (The power comes from Truth, which it is tightly intertwined with. Truth consists of the spiritual laws that create a harmonious interacting reality.) This is why “come up here” is an appropriate description, for we must choose to ascend to this new level of comprehension, for to love is a choice.

This call to “come up here” has been heavy on my soul; to let go of the world systems sown by mindsets counter to love and to arise to a superior level of human existence and experience. This ascension comes by a deeper and more full-body understanding of the characteristics of a reality derived from truth and love. Basically, it’s an increased desire to abide in loving kindness toward all of creation all the time because you see the superiority of it in every way. To abide in love is to abide in the loving Creator’s wisdom. Again a choice is made to traverse a path of this infinite wisdom and leave the limited and self-serving imaginations of mankind behind.

Consider all the ways you act, decide, chose, and respond to life’s situations. Now consider choosing to do all these in a way that is most caring for all involved.  How would that change your choices, reactions, words, and persona?

Because our loving all-knowing Creator creates love and truth as an inseparable unit, the kindness we give is established on understanding. We elect to respond a certain way because we’ve learned it is truly good. As we learn to respond in loving-kindness from our mistakes, our understanding of how to be kind and caring in all sincerity increases. This is possessing a self-perfecting mind, a mind that learns and grows from its mistakes guided by the inner counsel of the Spirit of Truth.

If we seek to abide in increasing love and truth, God will guide us faithfully. To encounter God, who is spirit, is to encounter an intimate instructor in your thoughts, penetrating to your most hidden thoughts, on how to be a creation that gives and receives divine love.

The desire to love rightly to all, in all situations, and all the time propels a mind into a self-perfecting mind. Below are three interwoven fundamentals to the algorithms of an ascending mind:

  1. You choose to do what is kind and caring to all creation at all times in all situations. You aren’t bound by tradition, habits, and convenience. The question always lingers; how would you want to be treated?
  2. You “see” every living creation as significant. You lift none above the other. You honor all equally. There is no self-exalting (pride, arrogance, haughtiness) over another based on gender, race, income, culture, family, heritage, status, vocation, appearance, type of creation (animal, etc), religion, etc. You honor all. Especially the weak the meek who need it most of all.
  3. You love beyond yourself.  An inferior love cares for only what it is affected by, but divine love cares for all, whether one is deemed personally affected or not by that entity. True understanding is realizing we are all effected by what is done to any part of creation. We are all connected. Thus we never treat another poorly even though we “think” we aren’t directly affected.

Love is a choice. For those who make this choice and learn of divine love, they are awakening in their understanding to new realities far superior in every way.


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The Choice

The Choice
Whom Will We Serve

 

2 Chronicles 15:12-13 – and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:33 “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Some powerful verses, aren’t they?

The Choice

We have a choice to make; a choice between God’s will and our will. Are we going to follow our way and what we think is best or are we going to follow God? Which we choose will determine if we enter into the kingdom of God.

We can only choose if we know what our choice is. Therefore, we have to learn who God TRULY is and who we TRULY are. Only then can we decide. Otherwise we may be choosing ourselves and not realize it or choosing a false image of God, not God.

This choice is the one Adam had to make. He chose himself when he chose the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He decided he could choose what was right, good and best in his life. Like Adam, we all have this choice to make, our way or God’s. But first we have to see God and see ourselves.

Born into Self-Will (sin)

We are born in this world following our self (sin) – like the fallen Adam. Bound to this self will, we learn to trust our pride, strength, intellect, ideas of what good is, and goodness. Our trust is in us. What we trust is our idol/god. We experience life with us at the helm. We see what it manifests. We have no idea that there is another option because it is all we know. We are blinded to God’s way. We haven’t learned of it therefore can’t chose Him or walk in it. We will do what we know. What we know we trust.

Then something in our spirit awakens. We become aware that there is another way; to trust God instead of us. This first awakening is what people acknowledge with the “sinner’s prayer” – it’s simply awareness. This awareness plays out in four ways as in the parable of the sower of the field. Matthew 13 Only the seed, the Word, that falls on good soil continues on and prospers. Good soil is the soul nourished with the spirit and truth. Though many have awareness only a fraction choose God.

Seeking God to Choose Him

Until we seek God grounded in the Bible with the instruction of the Holy Spirit, we don’t have the information to make the choice of truly denying ourselves to follow God. John 6:45 One, we aren’t fully aware of the self that is contrary to God (sin is a symptom of self, it’s self, the source, we are to repent, turn from) second we don’t know God deeply enough to trust Him with our lives. How do you really trust what you don’t know?

At this awakening, we can choose to pursue God or not. Pursuing God means seeking Him with all our hearts to know Him deeply and personally. It isn’t easy. It takes commitment to diligently seek. We need to get to know God amidst all the deception that fills our lives, which keeps us from this very act. Lies like you don’t need to seek, you don’t need to read the Bible, you just need to do be a good person, and you are too busy. There are many counterfeit substitutes within spirituality to keep us from digging deeper so we can truly make a choice for God and believe.

If you believe there is gold in your backyard what will you do? Go dig. If you believe God is your God what will you do? Go dig. If you believe only God is righteous and you aren’t therefore you don’t know what is truly good, then you will seek God and His ways and truth because you are clueless. You’ll desire to draw near and know Him. Faith without works is dead. Faith is believing and trusting in God and His ways. You can’t follow what you don’t know. To truly know God as He is and not some image concocted by you or this world, you have to get to intimately know Him. You have to get to know God and His ways in order to follow them. You don’t choose what you don’t know and trust. Believe is a loaded word.

This need to seek is why the path is narrow to life and few find it. Matthew 7:13-14 It takes commitment and diligence in seeking God. This is why many are called few are chosen. Matthew 22:14 Of the called, few choose to seek out God and get to know Him as He is. For those who truly seek God, they are able to choose between themselves and God because they understand what the choice entails.

Christian Image – False Security

One of the greatest distractions from seeking is buying into the image of a follower of God. Once you think you’ve found, you stop seeking.

This “image of a Christian” keeps people from seeking. (One who lives the manufactured Christian lifestyle) This manufactured image misleads people into thinking they made a choice when they haven’t. This “image” has a fundamental trait – no real necessity to seek God to get to know Him. It deludes people into thinking they have God when they don’t because outwardly they’ve changed their actions. They have only heard the call but they haven’t sought to really be able to make the choice. They are still following self.

In Matthew 7:22-23, people were doing great acts in God’s name. But they were doing what they thought best, thus living by their righteousness and not God’s. They never spent time to really get to know God. They lived the image of a Christian but were far from truly being a Christian.

This is why God says to seek Him. Amos 5:4 In seeking, you get to see who He truly is and who you truly are. In that awareness, you are able to choose between Him and you. Choosing Him is believing in Him. Believing means He is Lord in word and action. This is true faith.