I recently taught Spiritual Economics based on the book by Eric Butterworth. What struck me was how many people struggle with Bible quotes and references.

So as we come to the close of Holy Week, I like to look at the story of the Jewish mystic known as Jesus through a New Thought lens.

What I know to be true is this:
We all experience our own resurrections.

Some are dramatic. Others are quiet, almost invisible—even to ourselves. And every resurrection begins the same way: as an internal transformation.

I had my own.

I started drinking between my freshman and sophomore years of high school. That same year, my best friend passed from leukemia. Years later, on October 19, 2002, after a night of partying, something shifted.

I woke up knowing—I was done.
Done drinking. Done smoking. Done using.

Something within me had changed. It was my numinous moment. The desire to self-destruct died… so something greater could live.

Resurrection is an inside job.

And it’s ongoing. I still spend time each day releasing limiting beliefs, fear, and habits that no longer serve me.

So, I ask you:
What are you ready to release so you can experience your own resurrection?

 

When I first found this teaching, I was given a simple practice:
Put a stone in your pocket for every person, place, or thing you couldn’t—or wouldn’t—forgive.

You could feel the weight.

Those stones represented resistance, doubt, and emotional protection.

We all do this. We build walls to protect ourselves from past hurt.
But the same walls that protect us… also keep us stuck.

For me, alcohol and drugs numbed the voice of my inner critic—the “monkey mind” that constantly tore me down.

When I rolled that stone away, I had to learn a new way to live.
I had to quiet that voice.

That meant doing forgiveness work—of others, and even more importantly, of myself.
It meant surrendering fear and doubt.

As Joyce Meyer says,
“Don’t tell God you have a big problem—tell your problem you have a big God.”

And as Ernest Holmes taught,
“Change your thinking, change your life.”

I’m living proof.

But let’s be honest—it’s not always easy.
You have to want freedom more than you want to hold onto the pain.

It takes courage to roll away the stone… and step into the light.

 

What would your life look like if you truly believed this:

You are a unique, individualized expression of the Divine.
You are loved—unconditionally.
And you have a purpose that only you can fulfill.

It’s time to be brave.
Get out of the stands. Step into the arena.

No one else can live your life for you.

 

This isn’t just theology—it’s awareness.

What we call Christ Consciousness is the realization that we are connected—that love, unity, and our divine identity are essential to who we are.

Even our founders pointed to this deeper truth in the United States Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident… that all are created equal… endowed with unalienable rights… Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What if these aren’t just political ideals…but spiritual truths waiting to be embodied?

 

So, this Easter, the question isn’t just what happened then—

It’s what is happening within you now.

Are you ready to become more fully present to the life that is seeking to express through you?

Easter reminds us:
We are always being invited to rise.

To release.
To renew.
To become.

So, I’ll leave you with this:

Blessings on your journey,

Rev. Gayle

 

I didn’t grow up in a religious household. I’m not sure either of my parents believed in God—it wasn’t something we ever talked about. My dad’s religion was golf at 6 a.m. every Sunday, and my mother had her “conversations with Gert,” sitting at her bedroom window, gazing out at Mt. Si as she reflected on life.

So, when I look at this High Holy Week through a New Thought lens, it’s not meant to be sacrilegious. It is, for me, a way of honoring the Jewish mystic known as Jesus of Nazareth.

 

Palm Sunday is often seen as a celebration—and it is. But it is also something more. It is a moment of deep inner commitment. A moment when a decision is made, not because the path is easy, but because it is true.

 

Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey—a symbol of peace and humility. Crowds gathered along the road, spreading cloaks and palm branches, shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jerusalem was the spiritual and political center, especially during Passover, so this was not a quiet or accidental moment. It was a deliberate, public declaration.

 

And here’s the question that lives underneath it:

 

Metaphysically, Palm Sunday represents the conscious choice to step into your higher identity. The “entry into Jerusalem” becomes a symbol of entering a new level of awareness—of accepting a calling that will stretch you.

 

If you had told me at any point during my first 50 years that I would become a minister, I would have laughed at the absurdity of it. And yet, somewhere in me, I found the courage to say yes. Looking back, I can see there were many moments when the call was there—I just wasn’t ready to answer.

 

Saying yes is not passive. It is an act of spiritual bravery.

 

Jesus didn’t drift into destiny—he chose it knowingly.

 

So, the question becomes personal:

Where have you said yes in your life?
And maybe more importantly—where are you avoiding the call?

 

Your yes might look like:

 

Because here’s the truth: the same crowd that shouted “Hosanna” would later reject the man they once celebrated.

 

Which raises a deeper question—are you living for applause, or are you living in alignment?

 

In a world shaped by 24-hour news cycles and constant social media noise, it’s easy to confuse popularity with truth. But truth is not determined by consensus. It is revealed through inner knowing.

 

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week—not the end.

 

It is the moment where something shifts. Where a decision is made. Where a person steps forward, not because they have guarantees, but because they are willing to trust what is calling them.

 

Life responds to that kind of courage. Your yes changes the trajectory of your experience.

 

Palm Sunday isn’t really about palm branches. It is about personal awakening. It is about the moment you choose to move forward, even when you cannot see the whole path.

 

So the question isn’t whether it will be easy.

 

The question is—will you find the courage to say yes?

Blessings on your journey,

Rev. Gayle

 

I remember being in a Landmark Worldwide class when the facilitator asked, “What is life?” I’ve never been fond of trick questions. It felt like one of those moments where there was a “right” answer they were waiting for—one that no one in the room was quite giving.

 

Eventually, the answer they offered was: “Life just is.” And honestly… that has stayed with me. Because in many ways, that’s the closest description we have of God—not a being standing apart, judging, fixing, or withholding—but a Presence that simply is.

 

God is not watching us from a distance, deciding outcomes. God is not withholding good until we get it right. God is Life Itself—the animating intelligence that is in, through, and as everything. There is no separation between God and creation. No “out there” and “in here.” Only One.

 

And yet, knowing this intellectually and living from it are two very different things.

 

There was a time recently when I experienced what I can only call a crisis of faith. Not because God had gone anywhere—but because I had. I had drifted into doubt, into fear, into the appearance of separation. And in that place, it felt like something was missing.

 

But nothing had actually changed. God had not moved. Life had not withdrawn. The Presence was still fully available. What needed to shift was not God—but my awareness. My willingness to remember. My willingness to align. My willingness to trust that what I was seeking was already here.

 

This is where the teaching from Ernest Holmes becomes so powerful. He makes a distinction that can completely change how we understand faith:

We are not meant to simply have faith in God. We are meant to develop the faith of God. That’s a radical shift. Faith in God still carries a sense of separation—I am here, God is there, and I hope something good happens. The faith of God recognizes that the very power that creates worlds is the same power moving through us.

 

It is not something we reach for—it is something we are participating in. As Holmes reminds us, belief is not passive. Belief is creative. The universe itself is built out of it. So, the question becomes: What are we believing into form?

 

This is why I love Spiritual Mind Treatment—Affirmative Prayer. Because it doesn’t come from a place of asking or pleading. It comes from alignment. We are not trying to convince God to do something. We are recognizing what is already true—and allowing ourselves to come into agreement with it.

 

And here’s the part that can be both empowering and confronting: Prayer is always answered. ALAWAYS.

 

The creative process is always saying yes. So, if the outer experience doesn’t match what we say we want, the invitation is not to doubt the process—but to deepen our clarity. To become more honest about what we are truly accepting, believing, and expecting. Not as a form of self-blame—but as a return to our creative authority. 

 

The invitation is simple—but not necessarily easy: 

Where am I placing my faith?

Am I waiting for life to change? 

Or am I willing to align with the creative power already moving through me? 

Am I living from faith in God?

Or awakening to the faith of God?

 

Because the moment that shift begins—even slightly—something begins to move.

A demonstration begins to take place. 

 

And in that spirit, I want to close with a prayer from Dr. Holmes that expands our awareness beyond the personal and into the collective—reminding us that this same Presence is guiding not only our individual lives, but our shared experience as well:

 

MY PRAYER FOR MY COUNTRY

by Dr. Ernest Holmes, 1887 – 1960

 

Believing in the Divine destiny of the United States of America and in the preservation of liberty, security, and self-expression, I offer this, my prayer for my country:

 

I know that Divine Intelligence governs the destiny of the United States of America, directing the thought and the activity of all who guide its affairs.

I know that success, prosperity, and happiness are the gifts of freedom, and are the Divine heritage of everyone in this country.

 

I know that success, prosperity, and happiness are now operating in the affairs of every individual in this country.

 

I know that Divine guidance enlightens the collective mind of the people of this country, causing it to know that economic security may come to all without the loss of either personal freedom or individual self-expression.

 

I know that no one can believe or be led to believe that freedom must be surrendered in order to insure economic security for all.

 

The All-Knowing Mind of God contains the answer to every problem which confronts this country.

 

I know that every leader in this country is now directed to this All-Knowing Mind and has the knowledge of a complete solution to every problem, and each is compelled to act upon this knowledge to the end that abundance, security, and peace shall come to all.

 

And I know that this spiritual democracy shall endure, guaranteeing to everyone in this country personal liberty, happiness, and self-expression.

And so it is. Amen.

In Can We Talk to God, Ernest Holmes writes that “the measure of our faith in the Infinite is the measure of our capacity to draw from the Infinite.” This is why the Great Teacher said, “It is done unto you as you believe.” If we can believe in a greater good, then much good can come to us. Life manifests according to our mental acceptance—our mental equivalents—according to our faith.

Thought is a spiritual activity endowed with creative power.

Take a moment and consider how you may have already proven this in your own life, whether you were aware of this teaching or not. God is always working through us and expressing through our thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

If you plant seeds, water them, and nourish them, they grow into healthy and strong plants. Thoughts are much the same. They are like seeds with a natural tendency to grow and manifest in our lives when we give them our attention.

Our attention, interest, and enthusiasm are what make thoughts powerful. When we continue to focus on a thought, it gathers strength. When we withdraw our attention, it loses its power and influence.

In This Thing Called You, Ernest Holmes reminds us that the barriers between us and our greater good are not barriers in themselves—they are things of thought. Because of this, all things are possible to faith. Jesus summed up this principle when he said, “It is done unto you as you believe.” If we pause after the word as, we see a deeper meaning: life not only responds to what we believe, it responds after the manner of our believing. Life mirrors our beliefs back to us.

Consider these ideas:

All thoughts are creative. In a very real sense, God says “yes” to the thoughts we give our attention to and the ideas we continually dwell upon.

So the question becomes: What are you spending your time thinking about? What seeds are you planting in the garden of your mind?

Ernest Holmes described Religious Science as “a compilation of the opinions of philosophy, the laws of science, and the revelations of religion applied to the aspirations of humanity.” Life is not confined to a single belief system or practice. It is about nourishing the soul and recognizing the Divine presence in every moment.

When we become aware of the creative power of our thinking, we also recognize the opportunity before us. Every thought is a seed. Every belief is a blueprint for what can unfold in our lives.

So let us choose our thoughts with care. Let us nurture ideas of possibility, faith, and goodness. As we do, we awaken to the creative power within us and allow the Divine to express more fully through our lives.

How are we physically?
Who are we financially?
Where are we spiritually?
How are we mentally?
How are we relationally?

These questions are more than a personal inventory. They are invitations into awareness.

Our Nature of Being is the living expression of the Divine through us, and it is shaped by how we are experiencing life in any given moment. Every dimension of our life—physical, financial, spiritual, mental, and relational—is interconnected. When one area shifts, the others respond. Our state of being is not fixed; it is fluid, evolving as we grow in awareness.

When we think about Physical Well-Being, we often think of health and fitness, which is certainly a good place to begin. Yet our physical life also includes our home, our environment, the places we travel, and the spaces we inhabit.

My own physical story is one of grace. My mother and I almost died during childbirth. Because of a tumor on my brain at birth, the doctor believed I might not survive, or that I would live in a vegetative state. An optometrist once believed I would become blind. And yet, here I am.

Recently I’ve realized how important movement and caring for my body really are. If you know me, you might say, “Really? Then why aren’t you doing something active every day?” And that question has helped me see something deeper. In my codependency, I have often placed what is good for me at the bottom of the list.

But I am beginning to understand something sacred:
My body is the form the Divine has chosen to express as Gayle.

Caring for this body is not selfish—it is spiritual. It is an act of honoring the Divine presence that lives and breathes through me.

Financial and Career Well-Being speaks to how we support ourselves in the world—our work, our goals, our income, and our sense of financial freedom. For many of us, the traditional idea of a career may be shifting or winding down. I will admit that I am someone who didn’t do a great deal of long-term planning for the future.

Yet spiritual life continually reminds us that our true security does not come from careful planning alone. It comes from trusting that the same Creative Intelligence that brought us this far continues to guide our path forward.

Spiritual Well-Being asks a different question: What inspires you?

This is deeply personal. Spiritual life is not confined to a single practice or belief system. It is about feeding the soul and recognizing the Divine presence in every moment of life.

For some, it is creating music. For others, it is dancing, listening to music, painting, praying, or meditating. Sometimes it is simply sitting quietly in the sand, listening to the roar of the ocean and feeling the presence of something greater than ourselves. The path to the soul is as unique as the soul itself.

Mental Well-Being is reflected in our thoughts and emotions. Mother Teresa once said:

Our inner dialogue shapes the world we experience. Taking care of our mental well-being is just as important as caring for our physical health. Sometimes that means seeking help. Sometimes it means resting. Sometimes it means stepping back and giving ourselves compassion.

Wherever you are in life, honor what you are feeling and thinking. They are not weaknesses—they are signals inviting us back into balance and self-care.

And finally, there is Relational Well-Being.

Whether we are introverts or extroverts, we all need connection. Human beings are meant to walk this life together. The people we surround ourselves with can reflect our highest qualities and support our growth.

Our relationships often act as mirrors. The way we show up in relationship is often the way our relationships show up for us.

When we step back and look at all these aspects of life, something powerful becomes clear.

Our physical life, our finances, our creativity, our thoughts, and our relationships are not separate pieces of who we are. They are expressions of one underlying truth: The Divine Life is expressing itself through us.

Every breath we take, every thought we think, every act of love we share is part of that unfolding expression.

And the moment we remember this; something awakens within us.

We realize we are not simply reacting to life—we are participating in creation.

So, the invitation is simple and profound:

*Care for your body as a sacred vessel.
*Nurture your mind with loving thoughts. 

*Feed your soul with creativity and inspiration.
*Honor the relationships that help you grow.

Because when we consciously tend to every dimension of our being, we begin to awaken to the truth of who we really are.

Not separate.
Not powerless.

But living expressions of the Divine—
creative, evolving, and capable of shaping a life filled with meaning, love, and purpose.

And when we awaken to that truth, we don’t just change our lives…