“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” — Vivian Greene
There are moments in life when it feels like the storm just won’t let up. We wait. We hope. We tell ourselves that once things calm down, then we’ll feel better, do better, be better. But what if that’s not how it works?
What if the work is to meet life right where we are?
In the teachings of Science of Mind, we are reminded that our thoughts shape our experience. Not sometimes—always. That means even in the middle of uncertainty, we have a choice. We can allow our minds to run toward fear, doubt, and resistance…or we can begin to gently guide them somewhere else.
This isn’t about ignoring what’s happening. It’s about choosing how we meet it.
Taming the mind doesn’t mean controlling every thought. Let’s be honest—that’s not realistic. It means becoming aware. It means noticing where your attention goes and asking yourself if it’s serving you. Are you moving toward something, or just trying to escape what you don’t want?
There is power in that shift.
When we begin to trust ourselves, ease our expectations, and give ourselves time, something starts to change. We stop fighting the moment. We stop needing everything to look a certain way before we allow ourselves peace. And in that space, something greater can enter in.
Call it God. Call it the Divine. Call it your higher self.
Whatever name you give it, there is a presence within you that already knows the way forward.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is take a step back and listen. Not to the noise around us, but to that quiet, steady voice within. The one that reminds us we are not stuck—we are in process.
And every ending, no matter how it appears, holds the seed of a beginning.
So instead of waiting for the storm to pass, maybe this is the moment to shift. To breathe. To trust. To take one small step—not away from what is, but toward what could be.
Because peace isn’t found when everything changes.
It’s found when we do.
Blessings on your journey,
Rev. Gayle
“Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” — Vivian Greene
There are moments in life when it feels like the storm just won’t let up. We wait. We hope. We tell ourselves that once things calm down, then we’ll feel better, do better, be better. But what if that’s not how it works?
What if the work is to meet life right where we are?
In the teachings of Science of Mind, we are reminded that our thoughts shape our experience. Not sometimes—always. That means even in the middle of uncertainty, we have a choice. We can allow our minds to run toward fear, doubt, and resistance…or we can begin to gently guide them somewhere else.
This isn’t about ignoring what’s happening. It’s about choosing how we meet it.
Taming the mind doesn’t mean controlling every thought. Let’s be honest—that’s not realistic. It means becoming aware. It means noticing where your attention goes and asking yourself if it’s serving you. Are you moving toward something, or just trying to escape what you don’t want?
There is power in that shift.
When we begin to trust ourselves, ease our expectations, and give ourselves time, something starts to change. We stop fighting the moment. We stop needing everything to look a certain way before we allow ourselves peace. And in that space, something greater can enter in.
Call it God. Call it the Divine. Call it your higher self.
Whatever name you give it, there is a presence within you that already knows the way forward.
Sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is take a step back and listen. Not to the noise around us, but to that quiet, steady voice within. The one that reminds us we are not stuck—we are in process.
And every ending, no matter how it appears, holds the seed of a beginning.
So instead of waiting for the storm to pass, maybe this is the moment to shift. To breathe. To trust. To take one small step—not away from what is, but toward what could be.
Because peace isn’t found when everything changes.
It’s found when we do.
Blessings on your journey,
Rev. Gayle
When many people think of spirituality, they imagine meditation, prayer, service, or inner peace. Rarely do they think of budgets, savings, debt reduction, or wise financial choices. Yet true spiritual growth includes every area of life—including our relationship with money.
Gateway Four, Manage Your Money, reminds us that abundance begins with consciousness. Money itself is not good or bad. It is simply energy in motion, a tool of exchange, and a reflection of how we think, feel, and act around supply. If we carry fear, guilt, avoidance, or scarcity beliefs, those patterns often show up in our financial lives. If we cultivate gratitude, responsibility, and trust, we begin opening the door to greater flow.
In the Science of Mind teaching, we know God is the Source of all good. That means our job, bank account, investments, or circumstances are not the true source—they are channels through which supply may come. When we confuse the channel with the Source, fear grows. When we remember the Source is infinite, faith returns.
Managing your money is not about worshiping money. It is about honoring the life you have been given. It means being awake enough to know what comes in, what goes out, and where your energy is being directed. It means asking bold questions:
- Am I spending to impress others or to support my values?
- Am I avoiding financial truth because I feel shame?
- Am I blessing what I have, or constantly focusing on what I lack?
- Am I circulating my good wisely, joyfully, and consciously?
One powerful spiritual practice is generosity. Whether through tithing, giving, or supporting what feeds your soul, generosity reminds us that life is circulation, not congestion. Hoarding often comes from fear. Giving from wisdom affirms trust in divine flow. As we bless others, we loosen the grip of scarcity within ourselves.
Another practice is gratitude. Instead of resenting another person’s success, bless it. Celebrate abundance wherever you see it. What you condemn, you push away. What you bless, you welcome into your own experience.
This gateway is also a call to courage. Open the bills. Make the plan. Create the budget. Reduce the debt. Build the savings. Learn the skills. Pray and then move your feet. Spiritual maturity does not hide from reality—it transforms it.
Money management is self-respect in action. It is clarity replacing confusion, stewardship replacing avoidance, and trust replacing fear.
Today, choose one step toward financial freedom. One honest look. One wise choice. One generous act. One grateful thought.
The Universe responds to movement. When you align faith with action, supply has room to flow.
Blessings on your journey,
Rev. Gayle
Rev. Gayle
I usually only use this medium to post my BLOGS and today you get a twofer. Along with my musings, I want to share my husband's latest song. Proud wife moment 😊 If you enjoy it, please feel free to share it. Thanks so much for listening! https://pauldillon.bandcamp.com/track/back-up
And now for my weekly thoughts:
It’s not always easy to pick a book for a series and trust that every chapter will be of a spiritual nature. That was the thought I had when I re-read Gateway Three in Dan Millman’s book Everyday Enlightenment.
And then I found this wonderful quote from Ernest Holmes in his book, 10 Ideas That Make A Difference:
“Every time we think of our body, we should think of it as our spiritual body. Think of every organ, action, function of our physical body as being pure and perfect Spirit, and think of God as being in us and around us and through us. Think of every breath we inhale as the breath of Life, and think of the things we eat as spiritual Substance forever nourishing the body. Think of Spirit and our body as being one in perfect harmony, and affirm perfect circulation, perfect assimilation, perfect elimination. We should declare that in pure Spirit there is not stagnation or inaction or overaction or false action. Our body is part of the kingdom of God, therefore there is a spiritual pattern at the center of it.” (p. 15.2)
The Third Gateway – Energize Your Body states the following: “Your body is the only thing you are guaranteed to keep for a lifetime. It forms the foundation of your earthly existence. Energizing your body enriches your life by enhancing every human capacity. If you lack vitality, nothing else really matters; if you have your health anything is possible.”
On Wednesday, before I wrote this BLOG, I met with a group who, like me, had decided to do a Spring Vital 21-day Detox. The facilitator went over what to expect, what we would be releasing, and how the 21 days progressed. I’ll be honest—by the end of the call my head was swimming, and I truly wondered what I had signed up for. And yet that still small voice within me reminded me that 1) it’s only 21 days, and 2) a cleanse/detox is not only good for the body, it revitalizes the soul.
We all know we should eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep. I love that Dan calls this The Holy Trinity of Health.
There are so many different ideas out there around eating. Trust me, I know—I have probably tried them all. From Intermittent Fasting to High Fat/Low Carb, it can make your head spin. And yet regardless of your plan, or what speaks to you, there are some basic guidelines that are good to follow.
I personally love the idea of eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like a pauper. It gives our body the day to digest everything we put in it, and when you eat lightly at night there is less food to process before you go to bed.
I took a nutrition class once and the instructor told us for the next three months we were only supposed to shop the perimeter of the grocery store. At the time, I hadn’t really paid attention to the fact that all the fresh food is on the outer aisles of the grocery stores. Okay, this might not be true for the big box stores and check out your grocery store next time you shop.
I am not much of a vegetable eater; this may prove problematic over the next 21 days, and I do love my fruit. Eating fresh foods, preferably organic, are not only easier on your internal organs, they provide a lot of the nutrients your body needs.
There are lots of recommendations on how much water to drink. One program I followed for a year had me drinking a gallon of water a day. That may seem excessive, and I love the recommendation of taking your body weight (140 pounds) and dividing it in half (70 pounds); convert that to ounces and that is the amount of water you should drink daily—70 ounces. My commitment is to drink 80 ounces of water daily regardless of how much I weigh. Do what works for you, and remember dehydration is no joke, so drink lots of water.
I highly recommend paying attention to how YOU feel eating and not eating certain foods; it’s your body, so take some time to listen to it.
When someone asks, “Do you exercise regularly?” I immediately think about going to the gym or engaging in some activity. Some people are naturally active, and some people abhor the idea of exercise. I am probably somewhere in between.
I do know some daily activity is better than nothing at all. One easy exercise is to get up from where you’re sitting every hour and move. You can walk around inside or go outside and get some air. It doesn’t have to be a long walk; just move.
In his book, Dan included the following as another “exercise” that can be done at any time:
Stand up, sit down
Now stand up slowly to the count of ten
Feel your body - are you balanced
Now sit down to the count of 10
Now stand up slowly to the count of ten
Feel your body - are you balanced
Now sit down to the count of 10
And if you haven’t done so already, check out The Peaceful Warrior exercise. I highly recommend giving it a try.
Are you getting enough rest? Depending on where you look online, you’ll hear we need 8 hours of sleep. I’ve never slept 8 hours in my life, and staying in bed that long makes my body hurt. You do you, as long as you wake up refreshed, you are getting enough sleep. And rest is more than just sleep.
Be mindful of your movements throughout the day. Choose to make your daily chores a meditation. AND don’t be afraid to take a nap.
Ordinary, everyday practices can energize your body and temper your spirit.
REMEMBER: YOUR BODY, THAT IS THE ONLY HOUSE GOD HAS AS YOU ON THIS REALM.
Blessings on your journey,
Rev. Gayle
Rev. Gayle
There comes a moment in every growth journey when inspiration is no longer enough. We may feel motivated, hopeful, and ready for change—but eventually life asks something more of us. Life asks for willingness. Not force. Not struggle. Not perfection. Willingness. The second gateway of personal growth is reclaiming your will—the quiet inner power to choose again, begin again, and follow through on what matters most.
Will Is Not Harshness
Many people misunderstand willpower. They think it means gritting your teeth, pushing harder, or criticizing yourself into change. True will is gentler than that.
Will is the part of you that says:
- I can pray for one minute today.
- I can take one healthy step.
- I can begin where I am.
- I can stop making excuses.
- I can choose peace now.
Sometimes reclaiming your will starts small. Better sixty seconds of spiritual practice each day than one hour once a week. Consistency transforms us more than intensity ever will.
Until I began rereading Everyday Enlightenment: The Twelve Gateways to Personal Growth, I never thought much about “my will.” Recently, I stopped doing my spiritual practice. As a minister, I felt shame and guilt. These are practices I teach, and I value living in integrity.
As I sat with my 13 Months coach, she gently reminded me that I had a great deal to process, and simply being present while allowing my body and spirit to adjust was important. Eventually, my spiritual practice found its legs again. Not all at once. Some days I journaled. Other days I prayed. Slowly, I returned to practice—and discovered it had evolved into something that fits my life even better now.
Remember What You Have Already Done
If you think you lack willpower, look back.
You have already done hard things.
- You learned skills.
- You kept commitments.
- You survived seasons you thought would break you.
- You raised children, built relationships, held jobs, endured heartbreak, and kept going.
The evidence of your strength is already written in your life.
Finish What You Start
One of the greatest drains on the soul is repeatedly abandoning ourselves.
- We start with excitement... then quit.
- We make promises... then break them.
- We dream... then retreat.
Every unfinished promise chips away at self-trust.
But each completed act—no matter how small—restores dignity.
- Finish the walk.
- Make the call.
- Clean the drawer.
- Write the note.
- Say the apology.
- Keep the promise.
- Self-respect is built one kept promise at a time.
It is interesting that in the book, Dan Millman talks about “just do it.” For me, as a person in recovery, it took time to believe I was worth living differently. I had many stops and starts, broken promises to myself, and broken promises to God—as I understood God then. Until one day, I decided: No more. Once the decision was made, my will stepped forward to support it. And as every person in recovery knows—whatever the recovery may be—you choose each day not to return to what once had power over you.
Boundaries Are an Act of Will
Sometimes reclaiming your will means saying no. Not because you are angry. Not because you are selfish. But because your life energy is sacred. You do not owe your time to everything that asks for it. A healthy “no” often creates room for a wholehearted “yes.”
Forgiveness Frees the Will
Dan Millman writes: “Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a better past.”
How much energy is lost wishing yesterday had been different? Forgiveness does not excuse harm. It releases your life from being chained to it. When we forgive, we reclaim the power trapped in resentment. When we let go, our will becomes available again for love, service, and creation.
Love Is the Highest Will
Ernest Holmes reminds us that love is the only reality. Love creates tolerance, understanding, harmony, and peace.
- Will without love becomes control.
- Discipline without love becomes punishment.
- Boundaries without love become walls.
But when love guides the will, our choices become healing.
This Week’s Invitation
Where in your life are you being asked to reclaim your will?
- Begin one small practice?
- Finish something incomplete?
- Set one boundary?
- Forgive one burden?
- Trust yourself again?
Choose one thing. Do it today.
That is how freedom begins.
Blessings on your journey,
Rev. Gayle
