The Spiritual Forum

In 2010 The Fifth Agreement, a sequel to The Four Agreements, was published. In this episode we take on the last new agreement, "Be Skeptical but Learn to Listen." Here we share our insights on the power of doubt and how asking, "Is it true?" about everything we hear supports the process of un-domestication of the planet, ultimately leading us to Truth. This one can upend our entire belief system,...

In this episode we share our thoughts and experiences on the Fourth Agreement, "Always Do Your Best." This is a statement that most of us heard from childhood and it can carry some emotional baggage. But the intention of this new agreement is to free us from the inner critic that berates us for not being perfect, while also knowing that our best looks different in different circumstances. It also...

We are assumption making machines. We make assumptions about the motivations, intentions, thoughts and behaviors of other people. We make assumptions about groups of people and how others respond to us. Basically we make assumptions when we lack information and don't seek clarity. These assumptions cause us great suffering! In this episode we explore the Third Agreement, "Don't Make Assumptions,"...

We continue our dialogue on The Four Agreements and share our experiences and insights about taking things personally. Almost all of us take things personally. Yet the second agreement advises us to not take anything personally, because nothing other people say, think or do is because of us. When we get this, we become immune to the opinions and actions of others and experience authentic freedom.

In this episode we launch into a new series on the 1997 bestseller, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. While published two decades ago, this little book packs a great deal of timeless wisdom and presents four agreements, or ways of living, that when embraced will lead to personal freedom and power. Here we share our insights about and experiences of the first agreement: "Be impeccable with yo...

In this episode Rev. Carol has a lively conversation with her daughter and traveling partner about their recent travels and spiritual adventures in Peru. They share their experiences and reflections on Indigenous ceremonies, Earth religions, hiking the Inca trail, seeing Machu Picchu, feeling the life of the terrain, experiencing the native culture and much more. Their time together in Peru was a...

Transcendent experiences are those that surpass usual limits, or extend beyond the limits of ordinary experience. They can be as dramatic as meeting God (or our Higher Self) face-to-face, as in the story of Moses and the burning bush. Or they can be experiences of a sudden insight, an intense sense of Divine Light/Love or a place of extraordinary beauty. They can can also be as humble as perceivin...

Jesus of Nazareth probably influenced western civilization more than any other person. Not a warrior, king, scientist or political leader, his imprint upon billions of individuals, and across multiple cultures and nations is vast, deep and profound. His teachings are firmly imprinted in our society whether we adhere to them or not. In this episode we share our understanding and experience - both p...

In this episode Rev. Carol engages modern mystics Jenny & Greg Donner in dialogue about A Course in Miracles and their profound change in mind from fear and future planning to living entirely by inspiration and guidance. Greg’s and Jenny’s paths are selfless ones where they put aside personal interests and preferences in order to answer fully the prayer of being truly helpful. Most recently th...

Imagination is our ability to picture, conceptualize, envision and dream. It is what gives shape, form and color to unformed mental energy. Before we bring anything into manifestation, we first have a picture of it. This is a Divine gift, and as with any gift, we can use it to create good in our lives or more separation. We have a propensity to create stories in our minds about people, relationshi...

Do you believe you can take spiritual control of your body? Do you believe that there is no incurable disease? Do you believe that with God all things are possible? Most of us accept that illness is a natural part of being alive and that we inherit conditions of health or disease from our families. But when we take a threefold approach that includes spirit, mind and body, we can manifest healing....

We conclude our series on the Beatitudes with the last statement, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven." Religious persecution is definitely still rampant in our world, and while most of us don't experience persecution to that degree, we often experience ill-treatment, marginalization or judgment because of our beliefs or convictions. Here we...

We talk a lot about wanting peace. But are we makers of Peace? In the Peacemaker, ideas of Peace, Love, and Good prevail in the heart and mind. Thought, word and deed are in harmony. The path of the Peacemaker is not an easy one. It involves forgiveness, loving others, loving oneself, and acceptance of reality. The promise is to be called 'children of God.' In this episode we share our experiences...

The heart is more than a physical organ. It is the center of of emotions, thoughts and intentions. Understanding, discernment, insight, conscience and morality live there. To have a pure heart is to be free from thoughts and feelings that are not our Divine Truth (like hate, fear, disease, limitation, jealousy, domination, resentment or victimization). When our hearts are pure we allow the Spirit...

Divine Mercy is a quality that is within us. It includes showing forbearance toward an offender or someone we have power over, as well as having sympathetic concern/awareness of another's suffering and the desire to alleviate it. When we see an expression of mercy we are usually profoundly moved. In this episode we explore the fifth Beatitude, "Blessed are the merciful," and how we can bring ourse...

In this episode we delve into the fourth Beatitude, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Righteousness is more than a morally virtuous life. It is the Presence Itself that we can choose to express as right living, right thinking and right being. We must first have a yearning for God's presence before we can expect it to manifest in our lives, and when we do. we are filled i...

In this episode we delve into the third Beatitude, "Blessed are the meek." Meekness is not a favorable term in today's world. But when we look at the word's historical context, other meanings come to light, such as power/strength under control, honestly knowing who you are and where you stand with God/self/others, not needing to defend/react/take offense/offend. This is the balance that all spirit...

In this episode we delve into the human experience of mourning. Mourning is the expression of grief or sorrow. It’s no fun, but going through it gets us to a new normal. There is “Good” on the other side. The promise to those who mourn is Divine Comfort, which shows up in myriad and unexpected ways. Ultimately, we find it within ourselves.

The Beatitudes are the first eight statements of the famous Sermon on the Mount. They present a revolutionary set of ideals that focus on love and humility rather than force, power and status. The first one is about being spiritually humble. In this episode we reveal that spiritual humility is the fundamental basis of spiritual living. When we live in partnership with Spirit, heaven consciousness...

The Law of Increase is a spiritual law that operates on every plane of our lives, including money. When we wisely use whatever we are given, we produce more than we originally had. This includes our innate talents/abilities, our mind, our ideas, and also our money. Many of us play small and keep our talents and resources buried. In this episode, we share about the activity of the Law of Increase i...

Money has been with us for a looooong time. Bartering - the exchange of goods and services for mutual advantage - started tens of thousands of years ago. The first coins came onto the scene in 1000 BC and paper money showed up for the first time in 806 AD. We had a gold standard for a little over 100 years and dumped that in 1930. Now our money is primarily electronic, something we rarely even tou...

Worry seems to be part of the human condition. We worry about relationships, work, money, the future, health and more. And yet most of what we worry about never happens! When we need to make something happen, persevere, overcome, heal or create, worry blocks us. In this episode we talk about how we release worry (and striving) and what we can be assured of, no matter what.

In light of the recent media buzz about the encounter between the Covington Catholic boys, the Native American drummer and the Black Hebrew Israelites on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., here we enter into dialogue on the transmuting power of Spiritual Understanding. Understanding is our ability to know the Truth that stands underneath what we see and see beyond biases and pre...

What do you say when you talk to yourself? It's important to watch because our thoughts form our world. In this episode we explore what single limiting thought are we ready to release. It's very often hard to find because we tend to stop at our feeling or a much broader thought than the core driving thought. This is an important first step in creating the lives we truly want to live.

The 2019 Cecil B. deMille award recipient at this year's Golden Globes was Jeff Bridges. His acceptance speech was epic, fascinatingly authentic and replete with joy and wisdom. He inspired everyone to be who they were created to be and reminded us that we can make a huge difference in small ways. In this episode we share our experience of the wisdom of "Tag, you're it!" and living as a trim tab.