The Trials of Purification - Meeting the Challenge of Spiritual Growth

By Julie Redstone

Purification is a sacred process that is meant to set mankind free, enabling life to be lived without pain and limitation from the perspective of the soul. It is a process that creates the possibility for individuals and for the Earth of living a sacred life.

And yet the trials of purification sometimes appear to outweigh its rewards, allowing one to feel that there is only difficulty and pain to get through, rather than a sacred process going on, initiated by light, and corresponding to God's intention to bless the Earth and all souls.

It is easy to believe this during a time in which the expansion of light is largely invisible, and one must trust this event based on belief and on one's inner knowing, rather than on a state of corresponding inner joy. Indeed, sometimes the difficulties of purification can appear almost insurmountable, creating heartache, fear, hopelessness, or anger -- all feelings that may have been present in the past to a lesser degree, that now clamor inside with greater insistence.

Because of the amplification of these feelings in the presence of greater light, what may appear to be taking place may be attributed mistakenly to deficits in one's character, in one's efforts at healing, or in one's relationship with God. None of these interpretations would be correct. For purification is the answer to the desire for healing and help. It is a drama of the past taking place in the present for which the conscious self ordinarily has little or no frame of reference. Its purpose is to eradicate limitation, and to create for the self, a new and sacred way of life.

With respect to the acceleration of the purification process on the planet, it is, without exception, produced, first, by the intensification of light upon the Earth; second, by one's own receptivity to that light; and third, by the intensity and scope of the needs that exist for healing.

Where issues in the past have not been able to be dealt with at the deepest level, but only in a more intellectual way or only to a certain degree, the expansion of light releases into awareness the deeper strata of thought and feeling, bringing with it more profound aspects of the original situation in need of healing. This would all be clearly understandable if the action of light were observable to the conscious self, which could then become more of a witness to the process, rather than fully immersed in it. In fact, in cases where such witnessing is possible, greater peace is often present even while difficulties continue. Nevertheless, this perspective is not always available, due to the intensity of ongoing difficulties.

Even where symptoms express themselves physically as part of the purification process, the underlying cause is still a need for the healing of one's consciousness, and this need can also increase in intensity, manifesting physical symptoms that are stronger than they were before.

Having an anchorpoint within oneself that enables one to connect with the deeper truth of purification and the freedom it is bringing and will bring, is an essential part of going through this process with greater ease.

Having others around who understand this frame of reference, a place to go where one can receive comfort and support, a source to which one can turn for a sense of greater light -- these are also important ways of going through what can be a time of great intensity.

However, the most important thing that supports one's passage through this time is to feel a deepening of one's relationship with God and with God's love. This deepening, even while difficulties continue, gives life a new meaning and contributes its own sense of joy. For the relationship with God establishes one's awareness as a soul, connected to life and to other souls in a whole new way. This is the reward of purification, even while challenges may be present.

To know with conviction that God has not forsaken one -- that God is, in fact, present during this time, is, more than anything else, the bedrock upon which endurance is founded and upon which hope and trust can be maintained. All other supports assist with this process, but knowing God's love and the sacred reality that is trying to emerge, are the central ingredients for maintaining oneself in the face of difficulty.

During the trials of purification, one's inner being may know one thing, while the body, mind, and emotions may feel something quite different. The deeper self may, for example, feel connected to God's truth, while mind and emotions feel separated, causing the conscious self to feel alone and without help. This situation, despite its intensity, can be met through the strengthening of love which can carry one through the trials of purification.

Feeling or asking to feel God's love, feeling the love of others for oneself, feeling one's own love for God, for other souls, and for the life of the Earth -- these are all things that can become stronger in the presence of greater light. They do not eliminate the challenges that are often present, but they surround them with compassion and uphold them with understanding.

Blessed are those who may enter the trials of purification in a state of awakeness, and who can go through the experience with God as companion, rather than without.

Blessed are those who may find within themselves the love that endures in the face of all difficulty, that is devoted to the light, and that seeks the healing of the self and of the Earth in the presence of every level of challenge.

Julie Redstone is a teacher, writer, and founder of Light Omega, a center for spiritual teaching and healing in Western Massachusetts. The purpose of Light Omega is to create an understanding of the sacred transition into light that the earth is presently going through and the changes this will bring to individual and planetary consciousness.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Redstone

Uses of Challenge Coins

By Frank Cassidy

Challenge coins are not only for the military-they can represent any organization such as police, schools, fire departments, weddings, colleges, and other groups. Not only can you create your own coin with the design of your choice, but you can even start a collection or trade them.

Challenge coins symbolize the values of your organization. The emblem imprinted on the coin should have a theme that best portrays the hard work and honor that your organization is known for. Mottos and mascots can also be great symbols to include on your coins, as they represent the attitude and individuality of your organization. A unique challenge coin should promote pride and support among the members of the group. It can be a great gift of thanks or a profound symbol for your organization. It is something substantial that your members can dutifully wear to show others the pride they have amongst themselves belonging to the same special group.

Another use for these coins is to add them to a collection. By customizing your own coin it will be unique. Your collection will be much more valuable than if you had purchased it from a store that mass produces them. If you craft your own challenge coin, you may be the first or the only one with that design, making your collection one-of-a-kind. As a collector, your challenge coins will be more valuable when you trade with other collectors because of the unique design you created for it. Share your coins with a friend or family member and get them into the hobby of challenge coin collecting.

Create your own challenge coin-one that displays a slogan, symbol, or quote-to express gratitude for the hardworking members in your organization or to start or add to your collection of valuable, priceless challenge coins.

Frank Cassidy is the owner of UnitCoins.us your online resourcefor creating and customizing your own Challenge Coins Get a free quote by filling out the request form at:http://www.unitcoins.us/quote.shtml

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Cassidy

Procrastination And Your Success - Facing The Challenge

By Sylviane Nuccio

Procrastination is usually the result of emotional issues. It is an emotional reaction. Most of the times, people suffering from it are NOT aware of it, and if they are, they feel stuck and don’t know what to do about it.

If you feel that you are procrastinating, don’t despair. The reason you might feel stuck with it is just because you do not know the source of the problem. All you can see is the result, and the result is procrastination.

So, how does procrastination show its ugly face? Well, it is very simple. You are NOT taking actions that you know you should be taking to go from point A to point B.

I have been victim myself of procrastination more than I would have wanted to.

They are different reasons why people procrastinate, but it is always an emotional issue. The most common emotional factor for procrastination is: “Fear of Success”. Yes, you read well, fear of success. That was my personal problem as well.

Now, why does anyone in their right mind would fear success? Of course it is not something we do consciously. It’s a subconscious reaction. Subconsciously we are avoiding the way we are going to feel or even the way we THINK we are going to feel once we have completed the task.
The next obvious question would be: who wouldn’t want to feel successful?

Again, consciously, everyone wants to feel and be successful, but subconsciously it is an all different story.

A very important thing we need to understand is that the subconscious mind does not “think” or “react” logically. Our subconscious mind reacts in accordance to what it was taught or better said, to what it has learned.

Our subconscious “blueprint” is shaped early in life through 3 main areas:

1. Verbal programming; what we “heard” 2. Modeling; what we “saw” 3. Specific incidents; what we “experienced”

What was learned subconsciously throughout our youth doesn’t have to be true. True or false, it is true for the subconscious mind.

Let’s take the case of verbal programming for example. If you heard the phrase: “Money is the root of all evil” over and over when you were growing up, chances are that you subconscious mind believes that money is BAD and it will protect you from it. As a result every time you might get closer to financial success, your subconscious will restrain you and you will translate this by procrastination.

Here is a very common illustration that I have been victim of and seen happening many times:
You are starting your home based business and you have all the tools and systems you need to get started and become successful. All you need to do is take action. Here is what happens: You are NOT taking action, you are procrastinating because you subconscious firmly believes that success is BAD for you and it will stop you before you could go much further.

Somehow you will find a way to do the things that will have the less effect on your potential success. Sometimes, you will even fool yourself in doing things that you make yourself believe are important when they really are not, but you are not taking action.

These are the symptoms of procrastination.

Once you know the signs, however, and have accepted the fact that you procrastinate, you can fix it.

A good way to start is to take a small none important task in which you know you procrastinate. Let’s say for example, cleaning your desk. You know your desk is a mess. Every time you look at it you’re thinking: “This desk is a mess, I’ve got to clean it”. However, you don’t. Everyday your desk is the same or even worse than the day before.

Here is something that will help you. Seat at your desk and close your eyes. Take a big breathe and see your desk all cleaned up. Once your desk is all cleaned up in your mind’s eyes, concentrate on what you are feeling. Ask yourself: “How do I feel now that my desk is all cleaned up?

Most likely your feelings will be a sensation of accomplishment and well being. As you are in this state of mind, talk to yourself like this: “Ok, my desk is now clean and I feel good about it. That is my result feeling. Therefore if I clean my desk I will feel good. This simple exercise will help you to clean your desk.

You can apply this exercise to everything. Close your eyes. See the results. Check your feelings about the result. Tell yourself about the result.

Don’t forget; procrastination is an emotional block. Many time it’s fear of what you are going to feel like. All you need to do is prove to yourself, prove to your ego that the result feelings are not that bad after all, until your ego understands that they are even GOOD.

They are some deeper techniques that can relieve this kind of emotional blockage as procrastination, but it will be the subject of another article.

Sylviane Nuccio is a trilingual professional interpreter who is realizing her goals of a better future with her over achieving wellness network marketing company. http://www.freewebs.com/livetraining