Jesus as Mirror

Try looking at Jesus as a mirror of ourselves, who we were originally, who we essentially are now, the divinity within the humanity.  When we see our godhood mirrored in Jesus, we are able to see that same godhood in others, or, if their divinity is so covered as to be unrecognizable, we sense that it is there—somewhere—along with its yearning to be made manifest.

Bob Goff often uses a real mirror, holding it up to individuals and instructing them to accept the fact that God loves them just the way they are.  Then he tells them to see themselves just the way they are and make some choices about who they want to be.

Ann Glover O’Dell

8 August 2007

Being vs. Doing

I once heard a convincing sermon on being vs. doing. The emphasis centered on man having been created as a human being first and foremost, not a human doing.  We often move through life with the attitude that we must do in order to justify our existence.  That was certainly my M.O.

A friend who is a practicing Christian told me once that guilt was his primary motivating force.  That without guilt he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed in the morning.

Is the God we worship a god who capitalizes on guilt and coercion to influence his children?  I know this to be untrue.  God is rather nudging us from deep inside in a different direction.

Since the essence of God is love, compassion, and presence, it is impossible for Him to try to influence from negative motives.

Man as well as all the rest of creation was pronounced good.  Man, in fact, was labeled very good.  So where did this sick mentality come from that says we are only as good as the good that we do?  that we are only good as we produce?

I suggest that mentality comes from what might be called our antichrist—the consciousness that has been separated from our spiritual source.  Let us reconnect with our Center, our goodness, our Self.

Ann G. O’Dell

28 July 2015

God’s Excitement

Is there any doubt in our minds that God wants us to be rid of guilt and shame and whatever obstacles called sin that come between us and an intimate relationship with Him?  God cannot have the intimacy he wants with us as long as anger and “shoulds” rule our lives.  There is no room for the joy He wants to give us.

John Claypool said his notion of God was a divinity who was so excited being himself that He couldn’t help but want to create creatures to share that excitement.  How can God fully enjoy us unless we experience the excitement He feels in his creative endeavor?

Our first step is to want God’s excitement.  Then to recognize that something in us needs to be destroyed.  Then to engage our Inner Force in conversation to determine that is indeed a force for good and one that can take away what is blocking us from God’s joy.  Then to cooperate with that Inner force by giving it permission to do in us what needs to be done.

God wills us to participate in our miracle of transformation.

Ann Glover O’Dell

17 September 2018