Every Sunday, I watch Agape as a "live streamer" like thousands of people around the globe, unless you're lucky enough to attend in person. Agape, with the founder Michael Bernard Beckwith at the helm, is such an amazing place and pure spiritual gold!
The first Sunday in May had a guest speaker, Rev. Cynthia James, and her topic was “The Power of Change.” She broke down the word CHANGE with her insights and personal stories - if you have the time, you should definitely listen to the archives.
She was so amazing that I listened to both live streaming videos just to see if she added a new story or said something in a different way that I could add to my notes. Later, I realized that I had to start sharing my notes from Agape on Sundays! So, here is the first of many.
A breakdown of “The Power Of Change” by Rev. Cynthia James - from AGAPE 5/1/16
- Everything must change - nothing stays the same.
- Why do we resist? Nothing and no one goes unchanged.
- Change is a portal of transformation and transcendence.
- Change is how you move from states of mediocrity into your greatness.
- Have you said: “I’m ready for my change but don’t let it be too hard?”
- You can’t dictate when you’re ready for change!
It takes great courage to stand in the truth of who you are.
You make decisions and decisions are magnets. They go out and find themselves and they come back in patterns and habits over and over again until you decide to change, until you learn the lesson. That change takes courage.
HONORING
You have to honor where you came from and what you’ve been through because everything has meaning. Every experience and every event has brought you to who you are today.We have to go into the fears, into the doubts, into those places that we don’t want to look at - the shadows. Those places that we think we’re going to pray above.
A lot of times we get on the spiritual path and we won't pray that away, but I say go into it. Discover what the message is, what it is trying to teach you so that you can stop having those patterns repeat and repeat and repeat. Go into it, go into that shadow. It is nothing but energy and information - what you do with it is the issue. So you want to honor where you come from because you have to wake up.
The works I do in the world is called “emotional integration” - I teach people about the mind-body connection and that everything that has happened to you is not only happening in the mental state, but it’s also in the physiological, it’s encoded within you.
You have to understand the language - the messages that have been giving to you, that have been encoded. You can not run from them, they will chase you. You can not hide from them, they will find you. What you must do is be brave enough to stand up and say, “Come on!”
Everything has meaning. It all part of your evolution, your healing.. all the stuff that you run from is all the stuff that is telling you to wake up!
I use to think there was some place to get to. You are not going to arrive.
An awakening is a journey and it’s consistent and constant and requires your dedication. The awakening is that it’s happening in the moment. That's how you create the life of your dreams.
There’s not going to be a thunderbolt that comes down and says, “This is it!” There will be something that comes down and speaks to you softly - you know that still small voice? It's really still and small:
- “Pssst, perhaps you don’t want to do that.” But..you do it.
- Next, it comes back and taps you on the shoulder. You ignore it.
- Then, we get a shove.
- And then the 2x4 comes. The 2x4 knocks you down!
You have to wake up and claim yourself. You have to choose you. What that takes, that intentionality, that dedication, has to be non-negotiable!
If you want to make a change, a shift, something has to be non-negotiable. What are you willing to be non-negotiable about?
Because you have chosen to be afraid, you have chosen to pretend you didn’t know, you have chosen to blame other people. There is nothing outside of you that can take away your power, your light, your freedom, and your integrity. You choose to give it away.
It has to become non-negotiable that you will stand for yourself. It has to become non-negotiable that you will sing your song.
Your greatness lives within you, it’s not something you go find. Your purpose lives within you, it’s not something you go find.
What is your passion? What ignites you? What do you want to bring to the planet? That’s the deal. Your greatness is about choice. Your history does not define you. What are you doing today?
There are people on this planet who have gone before you that have stepped into the line of fire, that chose to stand up, people who have chosen to bring their light to the planet even though it was going to be cursed.
What are you going to choose? Are you going to choose to love yourself? To write that book? To bring your creativity to the world?
EXPECT
Expect the miracle. Expect the good. Expect that things are going to be in the flow.
When you are in alignment, when you are ready for your change when you are ready to step out and stand in the truth of who you are, everything lines up. You move into the zone.
It can be scary because change is uncomfortable, but that’s how it's supposed to be because if you're just standing in your comfort zone you’re asleep.
QUESTION: What are you willing to be non-negotiable about?
Resources:
• Agape: Live streaming videos on “The power of Change.”• Cynthia James book : I Choose Me
