The Spirit of God is Upon Me

Question: What happens to me when I feel that overwhelming connection with Spirit, when my tears flow as my heart fills near to bursting, and I am overcome with gratitude?

Sophia: You are connecting with HOME. It is a deep, deep place of knowing, where you are seen for the divine reflection you really are...where there is no separation and all is one.

Imagine now, if you will, that your brothers and sisters are experiencing the same vibration of Universal Love that you describe. Can you see how different your world might be? Within that feeling of bountiful love and appreciation, anything and everything is possible. Filled with the Sprit of Mother Father God, joined together with us in peace and harmony, you go forth to spread your joy to others.

Sweet, sweet Spirit. YOU are the one we are calling to. Come home...right here on Earth.



(With thanks to Ricky Byars Beckwith, for her inspirational music)

Maria K. Benning
Healing Practitioner & Intuitive
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So Far Gone. And Yet...

Question: Lately I've been working with people who have some deeply entrenched self destructive tendencies. Is what I'm doing helping at all?

Sophia: Dear One, keep the faith. Sometimes, as the saying goes, it's darkest before the dawn. Do not let yourself be sidetracked by what seems to be missing. You do not have the bigger perspective, the way we do.

We know that you are strongly motivated by compassion and a true desire to serve. And so that's what you do each time you move into a healing session...you act from your heart and your honest hope for someone's transformation. But as you know, it's an offering and an invitation that they must choose to accept. You are all deserving of reunification of the soul, and so many times, that's exactly what you are blessed to witness. But even if that is not the outcome (immediately or eventually), keep doing what you're doing. It affects the whole in ways you will some day more fully understand.

The more of you who give of your time and energy in endeavors toward uplifting those around you, the more that will absolutely be the outcome and what you see reflected in your community (and in your world). It is like prayer, child. You call on a deep, deep place within you that knows what it's like to be in such dire need, and from that place of love and heartfelt compassion, you turn yourself over to God as a vehicle for healing, trusting that the one you are focused on will be ready to receive what moves through you.

There is full potential for a miracle, each and every time you enter into the equation. Continue seeing your clients as whole, healthy and complete. Trust that deep within their suffering lies that divine spark that yearns to ignite. Allow yourself to be inspired by just how powerful the remembrance of the divine within is, and celebrate that, no matter how the story unfolds. Not so long ago, you were where some of your clients are...deeply identified with your suffering.

As you're often fond of saying, and as you've experienced personally, miracles abound.

Keep your eyes and your heart open, Lightworkers. We are grateful to call you family.



Maria K. Benning
Healing Practitioner & Intuitive
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A Love Wash

Question: Sophia, I just listened to a channeling from Kyron and once again, am bathed in tears of almost overwhelming love and gratitude. Ever since I realized how supported I am from the angelic realms, I have felt like this. Is there any way for me to help others experience this beyond what I’m already doing?

Sophia: Ah, child, this is an easy one. Be at peace with who and how you are right now. You are living a life of connection and so you naturally desire to help others do the same, for what you have reaped is a knowing that peace on Earth is indeed not only possible, but imminent. Because you no longer war with yourself, you understand and value the vibration of peace. And because it fills you with such optimism and excitement, you do what you can to assist others to connect in this way as well.

We are grateful for what you have already done in your path as a lightworker, a wayshower, if you will. And there will be much more that you will enjoy in this way, but for now, simply know that we are most pleased, most honored to have you as our channel.

Maria K. Benning
Healing Practitioner & Intuitive
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The Shadow Knows

This past Sunday, John Bradshaw (he of the many wonderful PBS offerings) was a guest speaker at my Unity Church’s service. He’s just come out with a new book entitled Reclaiming Virtue. In Sunday’s talk, John spoke from a very personal point of view about his darker side, his shadow side if you will, and the polarities he vacillated between that kept him from living a virtuous life.

I’ve thought often about my own emotional extremes. In my younger years, I definitely careened between opposite states that left me exhausted and confused, caught in a life of imbalance and black and white thinking. Just today I received an email from a friend who told me about a new DVD called The Shadow Effect by Debbie Ford, with appearances by Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra and others. The movie discusses “the mysterious shadow self—the hiding place for your most disliked thoughts, emotions, and impulses.”

Watching the trailer got me thinking about what Sophia might say, so I thought I’d ask her about our shadow side. Here’s what came through:

Sophia: Children, we are delighted to speak with you about this topic. In fact, we woke our channel (Maria) up early, just so we could!

Many of the conversations we have with you are about cultivating balance. We encourage this because it creates peace in your lives. It’s what you deeply desire and where your world (as we see it as this time) is absolutely headed. And it happens one person at a time.

When you are able to experience more and more of the peace that comes from deep inner connection, the struggle simply ceases. You make peace with who you are and how you are and have been. Nothing exists in your spectrum of experience that cannot be forgiven.

If you were to wake up today and simply know that you are a child of God, that you are the spitting image of the Creator, that would certainly help, wouldn’t it? That’s why we speak to you in these ways—to help you realize just that. It’s time to stop pretending otherwise. And it can begin by being honest with yourself.

You have within you an inbuilt sense of right and wrong—not right by what your society dictates, but right by what your higher self, your divine self you call your soul, knows to be true. When you are quiet, when your mind is still and your breath is flowing evenly throughout your body, energizing your higher mind, and when you then listen to it in tandem with the emotions that echo forth from your heart, you always know the right choices to make. Purity of soul, one of the definitions of virtue, becomes a given.

It is black and white thinking that often leads to your internal struggles and which manifests in external extremes. You work most of your days to be what you think others expect of you, and now and again, you rebel and behave in ways that are completely counter to that, literally bouncing you off the walls of what you call good and evil. But we say to you that you can transform your life so that it is far calmer (free from drama) and lived in connection and peace.

Here’s something you can play with, if you’re willing to spend a bit of time on yourself:

You’ll begin by making a list (you may groan, but please play along!). Note all the ways you think you are bad, wrong, less than, or failing. Be honest with yourself. For some of you, the list will be quite long, but keep to the task. Simply list those things that remain in your energetic memory, including behaviors that continue today that you feel are out of balance.

Keep your list in the present tense. For example, if you were rude to someone recently, say your friend John, write “I am rude to John.” If you exploded in anger yesterday while you were driving, write “I explode in anger when I drive,” keeping to the present tense. For each of the things on your list, leave the punctuation open at the end of the sentence (no period at the end of each statement). Leave a blank line between each of your listed items.

Once you have your list completed, look it over and see if there are any other statements you might add to it. Remember, all your statements are in the present tense.

Now leave this be for one day. Do nothing more with it. Your list will be there tomorrow.

Once tomorrow arrives, pull your list back out and after each statement, write “and I forgive myself now and always.” Once that’s done, read your list to yourself (aloud, preferably). Take your time. Feel each statement. Then, leave your list for the day and go about your business.

When the following day arrives, take out your list once more, and for each statement that begins with “I am (rude, mean, fat, angry, jealous, etc.), write a new statement on a new sheet of paper. For example, where you wrote “I am rude to John,” on your clean sheet of paper write something like “I am at peace with John.” Where you wrote “I explode in anger when I drive,” write “I am at peace when I drive.” Find a way to use the word “peace” in each of your new statements. Once that’s done, read that new list to yourself. Feel each statement as you do so. Then leave the process for this day.

On the fourth day, take the list you first created (the one with all the statements of regret) and toss it away. If you like, you can burn it, tear it into little pieces, ball it up and dunk a basket, or simply fold it up and put it in the bin where you recycle paper.

Now take your new list—the one filled with statements about who you are as a peaceful being—and keep it somewhere nearby, where you can reflect upon it in times when you find yourself teetering. Tape it to the wall or mirror. Make a copy and put it in your purse. Bring it to work with you. Pull it out and review it periodically. If there is one area in particular where you feel challenged, simply write that one statement on a small piece of paper (like a fortune cookie insert) and carry it on your person. Pull it out and reflect upon it as needed.

Right now our channel (Maria) is struggling with the exercise, wondering: How will this simple exercise really change me or anyone else into a more peaceful person, free from states of extreme thinking and behavior? And we say to you, it’s in the language, dear ones. You will see. Your language will help you cultivate true states of peace, ease, gratitude, reverence, acceptance, forgiveness and love.

If you do this exercise and stay present with the emotions it surfaces within you, always in a state of forgiveness, you will realize that there is relief for you right now. This simple process will help you be present and in that state, you are automatically connected with your higher self (your God self) and you live the peace that is the natural result.

You are pure of soul—virtue personified. Claim that.



Maria K. Benning
Healing Practitioner & Intuitive
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An Ode to Unity

One of the greatest gifts of my life (and there have been many) was the day I found a spiritual home in Unity Church of the Hills. Raised a Catholic, I had long ago left organized religion behind, though in some ways I was still stuck in the reasons why I did so. Finding Unity has been a reconciliation on so many levels.

Just recently, I found I needed to ask my church for help. Typically more comfortable with giving than receiving, I have been changing that dynamic in my life in order to live in greater balance, and because receiving is equally as noble and worthy as giving. So I reached out through Unity’s prayer line on behalf of someone near and dear to me who is crying out for help. The staff at my church has come through brilliantly. I have heard from a number of them individually, and each time I do, I’m in tears again. It’s difficult to describe just how much it means to have a spiritual home where I am honored for who I am, exactly how I am, and where I am considered family.

Some of the basic tenets of this non-denominational church are: “We believe in our common unity with all life and in the community of all human kind empowered by love…We believe that all people are created with sacred worth…We are spiritual beings, ideas in the Mind of God, created in God's image and likeness.”

I thought I’d share this with you today. You don’t need to be a member of Unity Church in order to understand how profound these simple tenets are, and to receive the healing that comes from just reading their words. Unity means “oneness of mind.” That speaks of our connection to Source—that we are one with our creator. And for that, I give thanks.



Maria K. Benning
Healing Practitioner & Intuitive
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Mighty Mouse Saves the Day!

I realize I'm dating myself (can I actually date myself?), but when I was a kid I used to watch cartoons, and Mighty Mouse was one of my favorites. Mighty Mouse always saved the day. There was a lot of power in that little package!

I've been slowly (the better to savor you, my dear) reading Michael Beckwith's book, Spiritual Liberation. Here's a quote: "We are not here to 'save' the world, but to serve an emerging paradigm of love, connectedness, and generosity of heart." That's what I see happening in full bloom. Everywhere I look, I see people opening their hearts and simply sharing the love they are.

I've gotten to know some really wonderful people in the last few years, many of you right here on Facebook. Every time one of you shares the love you are, I feel my own love grow to match you. And the wonderful thing is, this takes no effort. I don't have to run around looking for ways to save you or the world (or be saved by you), I can just be who I am, allow my expanding heart to be free, and revel in the relationship that flourishes between us.

In that space of expansion, I may indeed be attracted to doing "good works" to affect healing in some way, but it's not out of a need to save anyone. What I can choose to do is simply bring my vibration into a situation and do what I can to be of service. And that happens through relating to you.

For those of you who know about Mighty Mouse, you'll remember that the cartoon was scored with really evocative music that reeked of success (dun ta da dah!). I hear it now as the love in my heart emerges to wrap itself around all of you.

Let your heart expand within your chest, and hear that victory music as you reveal the mighty one you are!



Maria K. Benning
Healing Practitioner & Intuitive
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Vote Victory!

I first heard about Robert (Bob) Stevens and Mastery Systems following a Reconnective Healing conference in '06. A stranger at a restaurant in Santa Fe struck up a conversation with me and within minutes was talking about Mastery Systems. Because of his enthusiasm, I did a bit of research when I returned home and then ordered Bob's CDs, "Conscious Language 101." Last night I enjoyed watching Bob demonstrate the power of language and its ability to transform not only the person at the front of the room, but the entire audience.

Bob helps us become conscious of the words and body language we use in order to shift into higher states of awareness and balance—to effect true healing and transformation. For example, he talks about the disempowering results of using words like want, need, shoulda, coulda, etc. and suggests instead that we use words like I create, I choose, I will, I can, I am. He has a whole host of suggestions for paying attention to our thoughts and spoken words. Try if on for size: imagine that there is something particular you imagine having, and in reference to that, say "I think I..." and feel the energy of that in your body. Now say, "I choose (or I claim)..." and feel that for a moment.

Bob says what he does is help us remember conscious language...that it's already in our heart. Whew! That takes some of the pressure off and brings in an aspect of ease as we learn to upgrade our language. Even though I studied and implemented conscious language quite directly some years ago, I noticed last night how I had slipped into old patterns, and am grateful for the reminder to be and act with greater awareness. Words matter!

The most beautiful experience I had last night was that whenever someone volunteered to be at the front of the room with Bob (a veritable "hot seat" from a standing position), we in the audience were encouraged to vote victory for that person. Bob led volunteers to greater awareness by discussing their use of words and body language and encouraging them to reach for truer meaning and more empowering words. Each person up front reflected our own limiting ways of relating to ourselves and the world. It's not easy to stand in front of a group of people you don't know and expose yourself in such a deep way, yet those repeated reminders to vote victory for that person were a commitment to do so for ourselves.

Just imagine if we were to continually and consciously do that for each other. What a difference that will make! I choose to do that now: I vote victory for you, my friend. I vote victory for myself.

As my friend Eva says, to your outrageous success!