Divine Definitions: (1) Stimulating wonder; inspiring fascination; hypnotic; (2) Exciting curiosity; intriguing; (3) Beyond our most appealing dreams; unfathomable; (4) So awesomely sacred as to cause speechlessness; ineffable

Quote: Mysterium fascinans (fascinating mystery): a sense of something fascinating, desirable, good, caring, and comforting which invites us into its fullness, fulfills us, and in so doing produces a unique kind of spiritual joy (bliss). — Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) German theologist & philosopher

Comments:
• In human spiritual experience, the fact of God and the love of God are not a mystery. Mystery appears when we begin to fathom the details of the spirit realm. The finite mind can know only what is in its frame, albeit this limited frame is ever expanding with experience and revelation. The soul can know more.
• God has no reason to use magic. He knows all of the tricks but resorts to none of them. His primary motive is to share Himself. The desire to discover is fascinating to all personalities and is hardwired into every mind. We naturally seek to learn more, not only about ourselves but also about the habits (laws) of God and the universe. All things are discoverable with His help; progress is inevitable.
• Once the current mysteries are unveiled there will be intriguingly new ones to hold our awe.

PROFOUND
Human Definitions: (1) marked by intellectual depth; (2) seriously or intensely felt; (3) thoroughgoing <profound judgments>

Synonyms: humble, mysterious, penetrating

Quote: The first function, one might say, of every mythology has always been a mystical, metaphysical function: that of awaking in the mind and spirit of the individual a sense of awe before the mystery of “being” itself. This is the mystery dimension and the first function of mythology is to communicate that [mystery], so that in the field of mythological forms and of the rites by which you participate in those forms you are made aware, experientially, of the ultimate, absolute mystery of the universe which cannot be caught in words. It is antecedent to meaning. Meanings are the mental interpretations, and these vary.
     Now, not only the universe itself, but also the imagery of myth is intrinsically without meaning. It is a “being” statement. And the experience of the “getting turned on” or the “ripple or buzz” comes when all of your meaning interpretations smash, break up; and what has been called the… fascinating, tremendous mystery of this whole thing comes zooming through.
     Now, it is a tremendous mystery and it is an appalling, monstrous mystery; to think of the nature of life itself: it lives on life. — Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Volume II: The Cosmogonic Cycle

Divine Definitions: (1) The co-head of the universe; devoted to the care, welfare, and rearing of the family; (2) The second person of the Trinity; (3) The nurturing aspect of God; (4) The source of abundance and plenty; (5) The Eternal Mother

Comment: God is not male or female, those are human biological designations. Yet God has been referred to as both Father and Mother from time immemorial. Even though there is only one God, there are many facets, many personalities, and many positive aspects we can differentiate and appreciate from our finite point of view.

MATERNAL
Human Definition: characteristic of a mother or motherhood <as loyal, supportive, protective, loving, giving, and generous>
     See also: Paternal

Quote: Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth. — Chief Si’ahl [Seattle] (c. 1780-1866) Native American peacemaker

Prayer:
Gratitude to Mother Earth – sailing through night and day and to her soul, rich, rare, and sweet.
Gratitude to plants – facing light, changing leaf, and fine root hairs, standing still through wind and rain.
Gratitude to air – bearing the soaring, the swift, and the silent owl at dawn.
Gratitude to wild beings – our brothers, teaching secret ways of freedom; who share with us their milk, their self – complete, brave, and aware.
Gratitude to water, clouds, lakes, and glaciers – holding or releasing, streaming through all our bodies salty seas.
Gratitude to the sun – blinding pulsing light through trunks of trees, through mists, warming caves where bears and snakes sleep.
Gratitude to the great sky – holding billions of stars – and yet goes beyond, beyond all powers and thoughts – and yet is within us.
— Mohawk, The People of the Shards of Light

Symbols: 1) water; 2) the oven; 3) the goose; 4) the gorge; 5) the ocean; 6) the forest

Historic Figure: Anna Maria Jarvis (1864–1948) American teacher & business woman, proposed Mothers Day in 1905 in honor of her mother who wished for a “Mother’s Day for Peace.”

Theological Figure: Shakti: the cosmic energy of the Great Divine Mother — Hinduism

Divine Definitions: (1) Animation of pattern and energy by Divine Spirit upon matter; (2) That vital spark which allows an organism to absorb energy, associate with mind, grow, adapt, and reproduce; (3) The vitalizer and revivifier; (4) The essential element of continued existence; the soul; élan vital; (5) The gift of consciousness

Comment: The loss of (physical) life has always been, and continues to be, the most fearsome and mysterious of facts. The first fact – the existence of a loving God – frees us from this greatest of worries. Our restored (heavenly) life is assured if we assimilate the indestructible substances of the universe: values.

Quote: Jesus calls men, not to a new religion, but to life. — Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) German Lutheran theologian

ANIMATED
Human Definitions: (1) endowed with the qualities of life; alive; (2) full of movement and activity; lively; (3) full of spirit; vigorous

Quotes:
• True friendship gives new life and animation to the object it supports.  Richard Burton [born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.] (1925–1984) Welsh actor
• How great is the mystery of the first cells which were one day animated by the breath of our souls! How impossible to decipher the welding of successive influences in which we are forever incorporated! In each one of us, through matter, the whole history of the world is in part reflected. — Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955) French Jesuit priest

LIVELY
Human Definitions: (1) vigorous; active; (2) cheerful; airy; (3) spirited; exciting; stimulating; (4) strong; intense; stirring; (5) brilliant; fresh; (6) quick to rebound, to spring back; resilient

Synonyms: Lively suggests briskness, alertness, or energy; animated applies to what is spirited, alive, and sparkling; gaiety stresses complete freedom from care and overflowing spirits; sprightly suggests lightness and spirited vigor of manner or wit; vivacious suggests an activeness of gesture and wit, often playful or alluring.

Quotes:
• Life is a lively process of becoming. — Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) American general
• Humility makes us more friendly.
Happiness makes us more lively.
Love makes us more caring.
Dream makes us more daring.
Trust makes us more forgiving.
Kindness makes us more loving.
Hope gives us the joy of dreaming.
Peace gives us the joy of living.
— Debasish Mridha (~1970’s)American physician & philosopher

Divine Definitions: (1) The giver of the innate ability to know fact from fiction and right from wrong; (2) The giver of the divine command: “Be you perfect” from which all other law is derived; indisputable fixed clarity; (3) The instigator of the principles of the actions of nature; (4) In harmony with foreknowledge and wisdom; dutiful; (5) Efficient; exact; (6) dharma <the eternal and inherent nature of reality, cosmic law>

Comments:
• Since God’s actions are so well considered, they are often the same from one circumstance to the next. Thus, His actions have been codified into the immutable laws of nature, physics, and all other branches of reality. But, since God is first a loving Person, consistency does not imply reality has a slavish hold on Him, but rather a continual reaffirmation of His all-wise overcare. All of His actions show His volitional free will.
• Law is the foundation of the mercy ladder. Without law there would be no balanced justice; without justice, no insightful fairness; without fairness, no trusting patience; without patience, no unselfish kindness; without kindness, no genuine mercy; and mercy points to its source and destiny: abiding love.

LAW-ABIDING
Human Definitions: (1) foreknowledge of, and in harmony with, obeying the law; respectful of the law; dutiful; licit; (2) the ability to know fact from fiction and right from wrong

Quotes:
• Only outer peace can be had through law. The way to inner peace is through love. — Peace Pilgrim [born Mildred Lisette Norman] (1908-1981) Steps Toward Inner Peace {2021}
• Mere obedience to the law does not measure the greatness of a nation. … The true test is the extent to which the individuals composing the nation can be trusted to obey self-imposed law. — Lord John Fletcher Moulton (1844-1921) English barrister and judge
• The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy. — John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) 6thPresident of the United States
• Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s and unto God the things which are God’s. — Jesus of Nazareth (7 BC-30 AD) The Bible, Mark 12:17

Comment: Laws, rules, and regulations have been made to state the obvious, like the protection of the innocent, and also because some will take unfair advantage when the opportunity is available. When that happens, society makes a law.
     On the other hand, straying from the (unfair) law may be necessity, thus civil disobedience.

Questions: What should be allowed? How much freedom should be given? Is it the level the individual can cope with or the level the society can deal with? How can we be sure something like nuclear material or the idea of freedom can be handled safely and responsibly? – only time, trust, and common sense are safeguards.
     Note: We can learn from history and hope for positive possibilities.

Divine Definitions: (1) Courteously requesting participation; attracting; (2) Opening the way; showing the course; alluring; (3) Eliciting wholesome desire; satisfying, (4) The essence of tact, finesse, and subtlety; (5) The most magnetic personality; charismatic; charming; (6) Able to make Himself evident to us; (7) Engaging; likable

Comment: God asks us to allow ourselves to be enticed with the final grand adventure: the discovery of his unending qualities of divinity. Through us He becomes both found and finder.

WELCOMING
Human Definitions: (1) having easy and open access to; approachable; friendly; intimate; (2) receiving with gladness or delight <you are always welcome>; courteous, cordial; (3) able to be contacted, appreciated, or discovered

Quote: Nature promotes mutualism. The flower nourishes the bee. The river waters quench the thirst of all living beings. And trees provide a welcoming home to so many birds and animals. There is a rhythm to this togetherness. — Ram Nath Kovind (1945-) Indian politician, 14^th president of India

Observation: A welcoming person projects an air of friendliness by putting others at ease.

INVITING
Human Definitions: (1) offering the promise of an attractive or enjoyable experience; (2) polite urging; a welcome request

Quote: Practice means to perform, over and over again in the face of all obstacles, some act of vision, of faith, of desire. Practice is a means of inviting the perfection desired. — Martha Graham (1894–1991) American dancer and choreographer

Divine Definitions: (1) Beginningless and endless; ageless; (2) Impenetrable; possessing mysteries beyond number; (3) Existing before time; pre-existent; superfinite; (4) Unable to be exhausted; undiminished; tireless

Comments:
• God has given us the precious gift of time.
• Even if creation should continue indefinitely, God would still possess the same infinite potential.
• No matter how long it takes the finite universe to progress to its final perfect purpose it will be as a split second in the measurelessness of The Infinite.

Quote: There is in the short course of life naught which is so long coming that an Immortal Mind can think it has long to wait for it. — Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius (480-524) Roman senator & philosopher

TIMELY
Human Definitions: (1) happening, done, or said at a suitable moment, especially in order to achieve a desired effect; opportune; (2) arriving at the appointed time; well-timed; (3) appropriate or adapted to the times or the occasion; (4) a lifesaver

Balancing Quality: Prepared

Sayings:
• There is no time like the present.
• Take the time to do it right, or you’ll find the time to do it over.

Quotes:
• For everything there is an appointed time, even a time for every affair under heaven. — The Bible, Ecclesiastes 3:1
• Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of. — Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) American polymath [eight disciplines]
• Nobody sees a flower – really – it is so small it takes time – and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time. — Georgia O’Keeffe (1887-1986) American artist
• God … does not recognize earth-time. To the universe, four days is no different than four billion light years. — Robert James Waller (1939-2017) The Bridges of Madison County {1992}
• My hour has not yet come. — Jesus of Nazareth (7 BC-30 AD) Jewish theologian
     Note: Do not be forced into something you are not ready for. Be wise in your judgment of the best time to act.

Affirmations:
• I have enough time to enjoy everything I do.
• I have enough time to do everything I need to do.

Reflection: Your pace is not the same as that of another. Respect the pace of others. There is an ideal pace at which we each should proceed. You don’t want to be going too fast or too slow. Your pace may be restricted by your lack of courage, emotional blocks, comfort patterns, and belief systems. Even so, you can only proceed from where you are.
     You can accelerate your pace, but it needs to be done globally and evenly, moving forward emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. If you ignore some aspect, you will find yourself out of balance and will have to go back to it anyway.

Consideration: Take the time to do it right. Prepare as best you can so you will be able to do your project to the best of your ability.
     When there is a deadline on a job and outside pressures create stress, recognize the balance between efficiency and effectiveness. If you possess a high level of attention to detail, you may have to curb it. Instead of taking the measurement to the fourth decimal, take it to the first decimal. Ask yourself if it is good enough. Good enough doesn’t mean shabby, it means high-quality work under the circumstances. Assess the nature of the job: making cabinets, more accuracy; building a shipping pallet, less accuracy. Know where the boundaries are, but with the awareness of doing it right.

Comments:
• If you are able to see exactly how to fit the luggage into the car trunk, you have a good space sense. Translate your space talent into a time talent by fitting your schedule into the day.
• One of the main reasons to do your best while you’re here, in time and space, is because you can’t go back. You can’t reverse time and do what you should have done previously.
• Since you have all eternity, you can:
     ◦ give yourself a break.
     ◦ take the time to find your right livelihood.
     ◦ find an infinite number of ways to motivate yourself to do your best.

Questions:
• Am I always late or put things off?
• What does it take to have good timing?
     Note: Pay attention to organization, prioritization, focus, and vision. A good way to motivate yourself to be on time is to have concern for the people who are waiting for you. Graciously break off from the current appointment to get to the next one on time. Turn on your consideration switch.

Symbols: 1) a clock; 2) a river; 3) a spindle; 4) the wheel

Divine Definitions: (1) The creator of light; luminous; (2) The giver of physical, mental, and spiritual light; (3) Spiritually enlightening; resplendent; (4) To brighten with grace; (5) The giver of perspective; (6) The one who makes things clear; elucidating and uplifting; (7) Mentally brilliant; illustrious; cogent; (8) Shedding light on each detail; interpreter; (9) Filling the universe with color

Quotes:
• He shines; everything shines. — Hinduism, Katha Upanishad 5.15 {5^th-1^st century BC}
• The universe is illuminated by three kinds of light: material light, intellectual insight, and spirit luminosity. — The Urantia Book, 0:6.8 {1955}

ENLIGHTENED
Human Definitions: (1) having arrived at a more objective view; able to see or comprehend truth; illuminated; (2) clear as to facts, meanings, values, or intentions; informed; (3) free from ignorance, prejudice, or superstition

Quote: I am not the first Buddha who came upon Earth, nor shall I be the last. In due time, another Buddha will arise in the world – a Holy One, a Supremely Enlightened One, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals. — Siddhartha Gautama “The Buddha” (c. 563-483 BC) Nepalese holy man

Tip: Enlightenment is relative. For instance: One may experience a sudden coalescing of pieces of the puzzle into a cohesive whole. All the while knowing this new “whole” is yet just another piece.

Colors: violet, yellow

Symbols: 1) the crown; 2) lotus flowers

ILLUSTRATIVE
Human Definitions: (1) making clear what is obscure; elucidating; (2) serving as an honorable example

Derivation: Latin, “clear,” “bright,” “lustrous”

Compatible Quality: artistic

Quotes:
• Interesting phenomena occur when two or more rhythmic patterns are combined, and these phenomena illustrate very aptly the enrichment of information that occurs when one description is combined with another. — Gregory Bateson (1904–1980) English anthropologist
• The Resurrection miracle is nothing to you and me if it is only an event of eighteen centuries bygone. Unless we can live the immortal life – unless we can receive God to his own home in these hearts of ours – the texts are nothing to us unless these daily lives illustrate them. — Edward Everett Hale (1822–1909) American author

Divine Definitions: (1) The objective reality, the source of all singular things; (2) The first thought, the source of all individual minds; (3) The original Person, the source of all unique personalities; (4) The creative value, the source of all differentiated ideals

Comment: We are dependent during this physical time upon the human body being healthy and alive, particularly the brain/mind connection. After our first physical body dies our essential cosmic identity (Spirit, personality, mind, soul, and valuable experiences) is preserved and continues to thrive.

SELF-RESPECT
Human Definition: a proper respect for oneself or for one’s own character and reputation

Balancing Qualities: Humility, Willfulness
     Note: Lack of, or loss of, self-respect results in inaction due to the diminution of will – or selfish action due to lack of respect for others.

Too Far: There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. ‘Good pride’ represents our dignity and self-respect. ‘Bad pride’ is the deadly sin of superiority that reeks of conceit and arrogance. — John Calvin Maxwell (1947-) American author & pastor

Quote: Respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners. — Laurence Sterne (1713-1768) Irish-born English author

Reflection: Would that there were an award for people who come to understand the concept of enough. Good enough. Successful enough. Thin enough. Rich enough. Socially responsible enough. When you have self-respect, you have enough. — Gail Sheehy (1936–2020) American author & lecturer

Advice: Idleness weakens self-respect. Therefore, stay busy with something constructive you love to do, or have a duty to do. Then turn that duty into an act of love. Self-respect begins with knowing what is worthy of respect; and is gained by loving and serving that value in others.

Divine Definitions: (1) Deserving praise; adorable; (2) Controlling the highest degree of excellence; (3) Possessing sublime beauty and awesome splendor; magnificent; (4) Better, by far, than can be imagined

Synonyms: There are hundreds, of superlatives used to describe God. And, of course, He deserves to be thought of in the loftiest of concepts. I have chosen only a few, but others would be: astonishing, breathtaking, dazzling, entrancing, grandeurous, lustrous, stunning, terrific, wonderful, and so on.

Quote: Not in achievement, but in endurance, of the human soul, does it show its divine grandeur and its alliance with the infinite. — Edwin Hubbel Chapin (1814–1880) American preacher

Comment: It is difficult to believe in a Being who cannot be seen and touched with the normal physical means as proof. But experience is deeper than the five senses. Intelligent belief may be necessary at first. Faith, however, is a genuine experience of a living relationship between you and God.

GRAND
Human Definitions: (1) conceived or expressed with great dignity; (2) illustrious; powerful; (3) splendid; magnificent; (4) noble; sublime; lofty; (5) important; distinguished

Synonyms: elevated, exalted, majestic, superb

Quotes:
• Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in Arizona. Not all holes, or games, are created equal. — George Fredrick Will (1941-) American journalist
• You have to have a big vision and take very small steps to get there. You have to be humble as you execute but visionary and gigantic in terms of your aspiration. It’s not about grand innovation, it’s about a lot of little innovations: every day, every week, every month, making something a little bit better. — Jason McCabe Calacanis (1970-) American Internet entrepreneur

Color: green

Divine Definitions: (1) Without beginning or end; everlasting; unbounded; (2) Changeless; always true; (3) Perpetual; timeless; ceaseless; (4) Forever in existence; immortal; enduring beyond time; (5) Existing beyond eternity; imperishable; (6) Indefatigable

Quote: What we do in life echoes in eternity. — Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (121-180) Roman Emperor and philosopher

Inspiration: Finite time contains within itself the seeds of eternity. God knows what He planted.

Comment: It is impossible to imagine a continuous eternity but it is worth trying just as an exercise in expanding our comprehension of the Primal Cause and our final destiny. God is the Absolute Infinite.

ASPIRING
Human Definitions: (1) to long, aim, or seek ambitiously <especially for something great or of high value>; (2) ascending; soaring

Derivation: Latin, “to breathe”

Quotes:
• Heaven and God are not high above us – far away; they are deep within us. Seekers of the eternal Truth will realize [it is] within their aspiring hearts. — Chinmoy Kumar Ghose [Sri Chinmoy] (1931-2007) Indian spiritual leader
• In so far as [the] soul becomes permeated by truth, beauty, and goodness as the value-realization of God-consciousness, such a resultant being becomes indestructible. If there is no survival of eternal values in the evolving soul of man, then mortal existence is without meaning, and life itself is a tragic illusion. … What you begin in time you will assuredly finish in eternity – if it is worth finishing. — The Urantia Book (111:3.7)