Some quotes
David Deida: "When fear dissolves, you no longer separate yourself from this single flow of immense force.  Love is continuity with infinite life force, a Oneness of being with no separation.  [Love is the key to] opening to this flow of life force."

Anais Nin: "The value of the personal relationship to all things is that it creates intimacy ... and intimacy creates understanding ... and understanding creates love."

Tozan (translated by Katsuki Sekida): "Long seeking it through others,
                                                                I was far from reaching it.
                                                                      Now I go by myself;
                                                                      I meet it everywhere."

What is it that we are afraid others will see if we enter into intimacy?  Is it our shadow? Is it that we are afraid to be intimate with ourselves?  Intimacy is another of those gifts that we must give to ourselves before we can offer it to others, and it is this intimacy that we have always sought, we just did not know how to be willing to open up and receive it.

When we open up to the intimacy of Oneness, we make ourselves vulnerable.  Yes, others may see our "dark side", but they will also see what makes us shine, the love that we are.  In intimacy, others will sense the growing Oneness within us.  It may be that our resistance is in part fear of our own "Divine Nature" (p. 176, THE PROOF), but as we relax into our Selves, as our Souls shine more and more, the intimacy of Oneness becomes a wonderful exchange. 

To enter this intimacy, we must first turn inward, recognize our own dreams and desires.  As we recognize and accept who we are, we can open our hearts to others and make it a home for them as well.  In the intimacy of Oneness, we invite all to come and be the light and love that they are.  As we grow, we encourage others to grow, and in this intimacy we offer a safe place where everyone can be their best, and can grow and heal.

Exercise
The intimacy of Oneness is a state of holy vulnerability.  It is the desire to create a "love affair with the living, waking, breathing God." (p. 178, THE PROOF)  Today you are invited to explore that love affair, to surrender to love, and to take this vow: "to be a radical lover in the world and to live in the intimacy of Oneness." (p. 178, THE PROOF)

Just for today, hold nothing back and live with an open heart.  As you begin your day, connect to your heart, breathe into it, feel its beat.  Feel your body, the blood that courses through your veins.  Tune into your Self.

As you get ready, move deliberately, staying connected to your body.  Feel and be present as you bathe, brush your teeth, fix your hair, put on make up ... feel the sensations as these every day actions touch you.

When you look in the mirror, look softly into your own eyes.  You are the image of Oneness!  Feel your own Divinity and whisper, I love you!  Connect to your Soul as you breathe, and watch, and know.  Attend to your feelings ... are you accepting or resistant?   Notice without judgement.

As you go about your day, practice this intimacy in each moment, with every situation, every person.  Explore what it means to be radically intimate with all the world.  Be fully present to all of life.  Look beyond the masks and roles of the people you meet and see into the heart.  Feel the I AM presence in every interaction and know, this IS the intimacy of Oneness.

At the end of the day, reflect on the following questions, writing answers as you see fit:

"1.  How can I create more intimacy with myself, with God, with others, and with life?  What small yet powerful steps can I take?"

2.  What would loving with an "unguarded heart" look like in my life?

3.  How can I calm my fears and soften my heart so that I'm more available to the intimacy of Oneness?

4.  How can I move into a more vulnerable and open experience of intimacy with others?

5.  How would living in the intimacy of Oneness bless me?  Bless others?

6.  Finish this statement: 'The intimacy of Oneness I long for is ...'"(pp.179-180, THE PROOF)

And as you lie in bed, say a prayer.  Ask God to work with your heart and Soul as you sleep, to take you deeper into the intimacy of Oneness.

Affirmation
"I AM waking up, experiencing the ecstatic nourishment and the radical intimacy of Oneness in life."(p. 180, THE PROOF)

Some quotes
St. John of Damascus: "The whole earth is a living icon of the face of God"

from the GOSPEL OF THOMAS (translated by Stevan Davies): "Jesus said: If your leaders say to you 'Look! The Kingdom is in the sky!' Then the birds will be there before you are.  If they say that the Kingdom is in the sea, then the fish will be there before you are.  Rather, the Kingdom is within you and it is outside of you."

Friedrich Nietzsche: "The 'kingdom of Heaven' is a condition of the heart - not something that comes 'above the earth' or 'after death.'"

 Just as Oneness is right before our eyes in every moment, so to is the Kingdom of God, we just need to be willing and open to perceiving it!  It is also something we experience by living.  Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, closer than our breath, but we must choose to see it, we must choose to live in it.  

We can create enough good to not only nourish ourselves, but that will overflow into the world.   We can be a gateway of good into the world, we can be a blessing.  And in the kingdom of Oneness we do create and we are that blessing.

Right now, we are building our lives, our spiritual temple.  It already exists and it is up to us to invite others into this temple, to share, to live, to be One.   As we do so, we create and expand the kingdom of Oneness.  Our path of Oneness is a constant path of love and creation that only leads us to a deeper and more profound realization of Oneness with every step.  And we take those steps within the kingdom of Oneness.

Exercise
Today you have a moving meditation that carries on throughout the day.  Today you are invited to simply see the Kingdom of Oneness that is already within you, around you.  Feel the power of this knowing and then take a moment to fully integrate this.  Close your eyes, breathe into your center, focus on your heart and whisper: "The Kingdom is within me, the Kingdom of oneness is within me, the Kingdom of Heaven is within me, the Kingdom of God is within me, the Kingdom of love is within me." (p. 173, THE PROOF)  Breathe and allow yourself to merge with the Kingdom.

Once you feel that inner connection open your eyes and look around you.  See and feel the Kingdom.  Continue to whisper to your heart.  Continue with your day, staying centered in this Kingdom Consciousness.  Receive the blessings of all of life.  When you interact with someone, silently say, "I am you and you are me." (p. 174, THE PROOF)  If you encounter difficulties, ask God to dissolve your fears and fill your heart and mind with love and compassion.  Sink into the Kingdom, and stay submerged for the entire day.  Let every activity, every word, be an expression of the growing Oneness within you.

At day's end, contemplate these questions and write out responses:
"1.  What are your Divine responsibilities as a citizen in the Kingdom of Oneness?

2.  How can you cultivate the Kingdom consciousness within you?

3.  In what ways can you be a fruitful lover of God and messenger of Heaven in your life?

4.  How will you create an upward spiral of joy and love in the Kingdom of Oneness?" (p. 174, THE PROOF)

Affirmation
"I AM living in the Kingdom of Oneness - above, below, behind, before, to the left, and to the right - I AM, I AM, I AM!" (p. 174, THE PROOF)

First, an apology.  I got sick : (.  Ended up with a cold and little desire to sit and type away.  My next dilemma was, do I catch up all at once?  I think no, so I am giving you all the next 6 exercises in order ... knowing that in the grand scheme of things, everything is right on time.

Many Blessings,
Michelle

Some quotes
The Buddha: "Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it,"

Lynne Twist: "To me, true service is an experience of wholeness, fulfillment, fullness, self-reliance, and self sufficiency for all parties - an experience of the magnificence and infinite capacity of human beings.  When I'm really in service, I disappear."

Muriel Lester: "Once you have found your relationship to God, you need never look around for work."

In the ministry of Oneness, we are acting in accordance with the Souls desires to offer service to others, knowing that in doing so we not only serve others, we serve God and ourselves as well.  In the ministry of Oneness we realize that the more we give, the more we become filled with what it is that is truly satisfying.

We are here to serve each other, to assist each other grow and blossom.  When we are committed to Oneness, it does not matter what happens in the outside world, we simply continue to offer love and compassion in every moment.

This is not a ministry of DOING, but rather of BEING.  We are being called to be Love and Compassion, to be in holy service to each other.   And the service does not have to be some grand act.  When we are open in Oneness, we are able to recognize in each moment what it is that we are called to do to serve.  It may be a smile, an open door, a listening ear.  The ministry of Oneness simply asks that we be present to each other in every moment, that we be a conduit for Divine Love, Compassion, Tenderness, Understanding, wherever we are.

Exercise
For today's practice you are asked to remember the words of Mother Teresa, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."  Today, you have an opportunity to cultivate that love ...

Cultivate Gratitude:  Keep a running list of one thing you are grateful for each day.  At the end of one week create a ritual to express that gratitude to God.

Cultivate Vision:  Spend one full minute today in contemplation in nature.  Give one creation your undivided attention and let yourself learn of Oneness from here.

Cultivate Service:  Commit one "intentional, loving act of service for another person today." (p. 170, THE PROOF)  Offer your service from a heart-space of love, in honor of the growing Oneness within you.

Affirmation
"I AM sharing my unconditional presence and love today, serving the ministry of Oneness."