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The Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideTwo Weeks LeftThis is it!After this episode, there will be two weeks left until our friend Pastor Neil heads into retirement.Enjoy the gems. It's been one hell of a ride. 2021-06-0835 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Conscience of the CommunityAs Pastor Neil heads into retirement in June,Kenny and Pastor Neil will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. 2021-06-0147 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideIs This The Best Divine Spark Episode Ever?As Pastor Neil heads into retirement in June,Kenny and Pastor Neil will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. Questions of the week:-What is a "built in forgetter?"-What are consistent strategies you used to solve problems?-What is the advice you'd give to upcoming leaders from the experience you've had?-How do you differentiate a person from being a leader and a person that just wants to be part of the action?-When does a leader get...2021-05-2555 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideTo Live the Life of the SpiritAs Pastor Neil heads into retirement in June,Kenny and Pastor Neil will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. Questions of the week:-"You speak about stepping away from the noise and the chance to speak... truth as it comes to you, how do you keep yourself open to that?"-"[What about ] those times when there has been that blockage that has not allowed you to be present, what are techniques you've used?-"What is it to live...2021-05-1846 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideCommit!"I firmly believe that we can achieve almost whatever we want to achieve. First, we have to decide to do it.A lot of us fail in that first step. We don't really want to commit. We want to spin a wheel - should I pick this career? Or that goal? Or this, this, no let me do some of this and some of that!They don't want to commit!"Be clear with your intentions. Create the discipline to manifest them. Go. 2021-05-1100 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideFailing Up"I've had it good.I've had a great life.I didn't get as far as I wanted to. Ya know.""It's not done.""I did everything I wanted to do.""Of course, that's what life should be.""Yeah and you know somebody said, somebody I really respect... said 'the important thing is to collect experience[s]. Collecting money and objects is pointless. It's collecting experiences, that's life." "100%. That's it right there because you can be anywhere and have these thoughts about your experiences - travel experiences, lo...2021-05-0401 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideCourage, Love, Truth, and JusticeRest in Power DMX.Rest in Power George Floyd. "As a Minnesota resident who's grandparents who were also raised here you would think that I'd be celebrating but instead I am going to rest and restore. See we have to fix the root of the problem in which ever lane best suits us. Mine is mental health and healing justice. I affirm you that its ok to be excited but still know a lot of work needs to be done. It's also ok to be sad for all the others who have...2021-04-2756 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Divine Spark from the Archive: The Redeemed WorldAs the country waits on the verdict in Minneapolis, this mini-episode clip comes to mind. No matter what happens, we ask - what does a redeemed world look like to you?“What’s important to me is leaving behind the message of what change can look like. Not just fighting for it, what does the redeemed world look like? If we win, what world are we going to make?"“The truest revolution is within you." 2021-04-2001 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideRest in Power Daunte WrightFirst of all, Rest in Power Daunte Wright. "The society and the culture is bankrupt.We need to find a new way. "2021-04-1304 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Struggle Ends When the Gratitude BeginsAs Pastor Neil heads into retirement in June,Kenny and Pastor Neil will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. Questions of the week:-What's the music that spoke to you during your teen years?-What do you think about the theory "culture of poverty"?-What is a productive way to do the work in communities being from the outside?-Who were those historical figures when you were a child that you looked up to?-Where there any historical figures...2021-04-0659 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideAre You the Director of Your Life or Are You Being Directed?As the Pastor heads into retirement in June,we will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. Questions of the week:-What are 3 ways you face fear in a positive way?-What fears did you have at the start of the pandemic, what fears do you have now?-How do you look at the year ahead?-How does your brain work in terms of planning?-Do you feel more like you're the one directing the actions of your life or a...2021-03-3051 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideBe the Positive Calm PresenceAs the Pastor heads into retirement in June, we will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. In this episode, the Pastor speaks on his vast experience consoling families dealing with death and we speak about his own brush with death.Questions of the week:-What are those 3-5 things/experiences that stand out in your life?-What words would you give someone who recently lost a parent?-What are the positive affirmations you'd want people to say about you?2021-03-2358 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideMovements Without Leaders Do Not ProsperThe day finally was here - the Inauguration. We spoke about:- the protests in Portland that happened right after. It was a call to double up on many of the demands such as abolishment of ICE and defunding the police.-Biden's first executive orders. -how "progressives are not a homogeneous group"- will "uncivil unrest" continue or not@25:50 - the question of "what would Pastor Neil of the 60s and 70s, the young activist, think of these times?" leads into a deep conversation about leadership, including t...2021-01-2653 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Retirement EpisodeInauguration Day is finally upon us. Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off with their thoughts on Trump essentially being banned from social media and the effects of that. At the 18 minute mark, Pastor Neil breaks down his first 100 days into retirement. He will retire on the day of his birthday. What a way to go out!2021-01-191h 00The Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Post Election Episode: Part IVWhat a start to the first week of 2021.The police officer that shot and paralyzed Jacob Blake's wasn't indicted. Georgia made history in the Senate.White supremacists broke into the Capitol. Five people died. And with all that said, Congress officially and finally confirmed Biden's electoral win.The Inauguration Day is next up.Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off with their thoughts on the chaotic week. Cheers to a new year. 2021-01-101h 01The Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe New Year EpisodeWhat was the gem(s) you got from your friendships/relationships this past year?What were the three main gems you got this past year?Simple questions to ask yourself as we enter the new year of 2021. We at the Divine Spark send you the most positive vibes for the year ahead. May you continue to be blessed with abundance. We'd also like to ask if you can consider supporting our good friend, Roque Rodriguez. He is recovering from the serious injuries he suffered being the community leader and activist...2020-12-311h 00The Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Post Election Episode: Part IIIThe electoral process didn't end on Election Day. Each week we will take stock where we are at in the electoral process leading up to Inauguration Day. As we wait for the current president to concede the election, Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off the week with conversations about:-Michigan certifying their electoral votes despite one cornball going off course -the electoral college (what exactly is it?)-redistricting -is trumpism a philosophy based on principles or just an embrace of a cultish personality?-spiritual losses and wins during these times2020-12-031h 02The Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Post Election Episode: Part IIThe electoral process didn't end on Election Day. Each week we will take stock where we are at in the electoral process leading up to Inauguration Day. As we wait for the current president to concede the election, Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off the week with conversations about:-expectations of a president elect-acknowledgment of what voters/non-voters want from their elected officials-3 climate change issues Pastor Neil wants the president elect to address -what does criminal justice look like in a new presidency-and moreWe...2020-11-2448 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Post Election Day EpisodePastor Neil voted for Joseph Biden over Donald Trump.Kenny didn't vote for either.This conversation explores: -the jubilation people felt once Joseph Biden was announced the winner days later after the election-people voting out of fear of another Donald Trump presidency rather than excitement for Joseph Biden-a parliamentary system in the U.S.-the narrative revolved around being a "centrist"-the Latine voteand more.The electoral process didn't end on Election Day. The second phase was just getting started. Each week we wil...2020-11-1758 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Divine Spark from the Archive: This is the Time for Heroes“To live in the present, hoping for a better future, while making peace with the past so it can enable you to make moves in the present.”“We have been chosen to be here now during this moment of human history. It’s quite a moment. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of where we are.”“This is the time for heroes.”2020-11-0201 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Divine Spark from the Archive: Accepting Love & the Responsibility That Comes With ItPN= “Anytime someone loves you, it’s a responsibility. KM=Why is it a responsibility?PN=Because people that love us want the best for us and want us to be the best people we can be.”2020-10-2901 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Divine Spark from the Archive: Gifts of Leadership“If you are a person who has gifts of leadership and you want to be a leader, you need to think about what that means because being a leader is all about responsibility.”2020-10-2800 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Divine Spark from the Archive: Moments of ExcellenceFor those who saw these past four years and this current pandemic as a wake up call, we must continue to dig deep inside ourselves and commit to being the leaders that we are. “Learning how to control your emotions and perform in front of an audience as you would in your own living room. That is a whole quantum leap.”“That’s what life is made of - those moments of excellence- those moments when you overcome your fears.” 2020-10-2702 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideSurviving vs Thriving (Ep. 24 Rebroadcast)After the election on November 3rd, how can we transform our thinking from one of surviving to one of thriving? A mentality focused on thriving will be necessary to transform our society. It starts with our mind. “It’s a mentality of surviving and thriving. We’ve been in survival mode for so long.”“It’s tough. That’s an everyday thing to transition to. [Have to ask yourself]- am I in survival mode or thrive mode?”“In thrive mode, you’re expanding...you have that footing that allows you to s...2020-10-2600 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideGround Yourself on Positive Values (Ep. 30 Rebroadcast)As we head to Election Day in the U.S., let us keep ourselves grounded on positive values. It will take several days, perhaps weeks, when a victor is declared. Nonetheless, no matter who wins, we must re-envision how our society. Visionaries are needed as we move forward. Let us move with positive values as our foundation. “We don't have to be anxious all the time, worried about who is coming behind us, we can ground our society in positive values - in cooperation and goal oriented achievement.”2020-10-2500 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideChange is the Only Constant in Life (Ep. 23 Rebroadcast)“What are 3 positive takeaways...?The first one is to always keep learning.The second is always respect your teachers and try to know who they are.Hold them close and honor them because they are the people that help make you who you are. The third is one to try hard to be open to change. I think it is probably the thing that most of us hate the most.Obviously it’s constantly going on all the time so it sets up a big...2020-10-2201 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Now (Ep. 5 Rebroadcast)“How do you find peace in regret?I have to continuously remind myself that no matter how hard I think about it, it is never going to change.”“I used to have this subconscious feeling - If I just envisioned that moment perfectly that somehow the outcome will be different - but it’s never going to be different because it’s in the past!”“The future is an imaginary place; the only thing we have really control over or interest in is the present moment, the now."2020-10-2101 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideLearn from Everybody (Ep. 22 Rebroadcast)"Have teachers, whether it’s through the education system, or mentors, or teachers outside of the education system.""In self education, you need to continuously have a teacher.You need to have someone that has more knowledge than you.You need to let go of your ego and say “ok, this person might know more than I know.”"I grew up as an only child.I grew up [thinking] I can’t trust anyone. I gotta just do me, be independent. As I got older, I got ment...2020-10-2003 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideWe Must Teach Ourselves (Ep. 26 Rebroadcast)"I look at things [that teach us] what it is to be a critical thinker. It’s not just books. It’s not just about what school didn't teach us. No, [it also requires self-knowledge]... we must teach ourselves." 2020-10-1901 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideSurviving vs. Thriving (Ep. 24 Broadcast)“It’s a mentality of surviving and thriving. We’ve been in survival mode for so long.”“It’s tough. That’s an everyday thing to transition to. [Have to ask yourself]- am I in survival mode or thrive mode?”“In thrive mode, you’re expanding...you have that footing that allows you to see that things are possible and [then you can] go for it.”2020-10-1800 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideDeepest, Truest Place (Ep. 6 Rebroadcast)“The goal for me is...about the immediacy of the moment.In that sacred space, trying to create a moment when people are genuinely touched, when they are opened spiritually and emotionally because I'm putting something out there that is true.”“At it’s best, it’s coming from your deepest place.”“The goal is that when everybody leaves, there will have been a moment when they were genuinely and deeply touched. If I can do that, then I’ve done something worth doing because that’s where God lives. In our deepest, truest self.And we s...2020-10-1501 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideYou Make Faster Progress If... (Ep. 21 Rebroadcast)"You can make a lot of progress spiritually on your own but you can make better and faster progress with a teacher or one or more than one teacher.”"For me becoming a minister was all about sharing my call, my spirituality with others.Basically showing them that what I was experiencing was real.Living just in your head is dangerous. We have to be willing to expose ourselves to examination and discernment.Not in an artificial way but in a deeper way.It takes a lot of courage and it also tak...2020-10-1401 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideGod is Pure Consciousness in an Infinite Mind (Ep. 19 Rebroadcast)“God is pure Consciousness in an infinite mind.”“Perhaps God was the first conscious being ever and woke up in nothingness. And if you think about it for a minute, how do you wake up for the first time?I think we know how hard it is to wake up from a dream that we know is a nightmare or dream and you can't wake up.Conceptualize that.God was an unfocused dreaming mind and at some moment became conscious of being.”“God cannot exist in nothingness so God had to create a pl...2020-10-1302 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideBlack Elk Speaks, Don Juan, and The Lost Universe"I focused on American Indians because my grandmother had studied and written about American Indians. Her doctoral thesis work was with the Pawnee in Oklahoma.(The Lost Universe by Gene Weltfish)"What I vibed to when I was in college was Native American spirituality.I read a book called “Black Elk Speaks”It’s the autobiography of one of the men who was at Little Bighorn.He tells his life story and it leads up to the day of the battle against Custard and what happened from his point of view. He...2020-10-1205 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideLeague of The Iroquois (Haudenosaunee)“Most people know that the country was stolen from the Indians.They just don't know the details.That general notion is something that we all have.Some of us push it away.It’s sort of common knowledge, if you will. There were once a lot of Indians and white men came and pushed them away.One of the things that should happen...the richness of the cultures has to ultimately be revealed and taught.There were so many different groups here and a lot of them were different.The I...2020-10-1101 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideBecome Bigger Than You Ever Imagined (Ep. 3 Rebroadcast)“In times of stress, we essentially find out who we really can become. It’s something terrible but it’s also, in a weird way, an opportunity to become bigger than we ever thought we could be.”2020-10-0800 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysidePeople With Power & A DreamWhat if people that honestly cared about people were in power? And then those people negotiated with people from other countries who felt the same way. What does that world look like?2020-10-0703 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideRadical Grandma“My grandma was a firebrand. She was blacklisted during the Red Scare, during the McCarthy era. She was a radical feminist.”“We have transcripts of speeches she gave before the war and the FBI sent out informers to the rally to take down what she said. One of the women who was doing that and went to her [supervisor] and said she wanted to stop covering her because she felt herself being convinced by the arguments.”2020-10-0601 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Story of Ismael“It’s about how real life always ends up surprising us. You really never know what’s going to happen.” “Abraham had two sons - one was Isaac...he also had another son, Ismael by a slave named Hagar. The wife was jealous and made him drive Hagar and this boy out of the camp. They wandered through the desert until they ran out of water. She put the kid down because she doesn't want to watch [the boy] die. And God comes and speaks with her and says 'Hagar, I’m going to...2020-10-0502 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideRussian Roulette & A Gun With 100,000 Rounds"[There is the Black Lives Matter movement] AND we still...have a virus.“It’s funny the way I think about [the virus]. Really for me if I get it, it’s a fair to middle chance that ill get real sick. It’s kind of like playing Russian Roulette with a giant gun that has 100,000 rounds in it and every thousandth round is a live round. Your odds are really good!” 2020-10-0401 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideFind Meaning in Everything (Ep. 11 Rebroadcast)“People often say everything happens for a reason, I think we all have said it one way or another. To me, that’s not really true. Things happen randomly all the time but we can make meaning out of the things that happen to us. And that is more important than to say everything happens for a reason.”“We can extract meaning out of the things that happen to us.That is how we grow spiritually.By not being overwhelmed by the things that happen, but by trying to make something m...2020-10-0101 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Divine Spark (Ep. 1 Rebroadcast)"Isn’t God in You?""There is a Divine Spark in every human being and also becoming consciously in touch with that [inner] self is [of the utmost importance]."2020-09-3000 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideA Fighting Chance“Evil looks like it’s rising but it’s making a lot of mistakes because it’s stupid. It’s vulnerable and it knows it’s vulnerable. It’s fighting tooth and claw just to stay in power. Yeah, evil is always going to be there. Winning the election is not going to vanquish evil. It will at least give us a chance to keep fighting.” 2020-09-2901 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideFind the Best Local CandidateFind the best local candidate you can find and work for her, work for him. If Biden is a drag, find a local candidate who is exciting. That’s where the power base for progressives will be. It’s going to be local."2020-09-2800 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideLove is the Way"One of the things I loved about the Black Panthers is that they had breakfast programs. They had after-school tutoring program. They didn't just have rhetoric, they put it into the work. A real caring about people. No revolution will not succeed if it doesn't truly care about the people.”"Yes, there’s fear. Love is the way. As simple as that may sound, love is the way."2020-09-2701 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideIf There Are Humans Saying “We Don’t Feel Human”"It made me think of this driver, she was 59 years old, white woman. She mentioned the looters and what’s going on. She doesn't understand it. I said "We’re all humans right. If there are a group of humans that say I do not feel human. We as humans should say - ok, why, how can we be supportive? Instead of saying no - you should feel like a human!" Black people have said this continuously for centuries "We do not feel like humans. We have been oppressed. Listen to me.”...2020-09-2401 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideRedeemed World“I don't know how long I have left. It could be I'll live until 90 or cancer comes back next week.“What’s important to me is leaving behind the message of what change can look like. Not just fighting for it, what does the redeemed world look like? If we win, what world are we going to make?"“The truest revolution is within you." 2020-09-2301 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe 1968 Movement & the 2020 Movement"What’s different in 2020 than1968 is that the anti-war movement took a long time to make a tangible difference. We went on years of marches. All the way through the late 60s until '71, '72. It was really only at the end of that time that you can see that it was going our way. Up until then there was this tremendous pushback from people who knew servicemen or the "America Love it Leave it" crowd. And finally when Nixon ended the war and draft at the same time, it was this tremendous triumph and it also took th...2020-09-2202 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Power of Mental Health in the Movement"The talk around mental health is a bit more active, more spoken about. That can be a missing piece that can elevate this movement. To be conscious of our mental health, to not be overworked, to have that time for ourselves.""Instead of being stuck in circles and bottling up our emotions, [taking care of our mental health] allow us to be more focused. Organizers need to be organized. First step is to have that mental clarity and then you can make sound decisions."2020-09-2101 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideKenny Goes to MinneapolisThis episode was recorded after Kenny went to Minneapolis after George Floyd got murdered."This is who I am. I’m owning up to it. This is who I’ve always been. I’ve always been about social justice. Whether it was COVID or [not], I knew I needed to go." "It took a global pandemic and a man - a black man - to be filmed on camera getting killed by an officer for all of this to strike a chord.”2020-09-2001 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideHow Did Isaac Feel?“Just as Abraham is raising the sacrificial knife, it says God stays his hand. God says you don't have to sacrifice your son, I believe you are faithful.”“The text doesn't say anything about what Isaac felt. Isaac was not a baby, he was a boy. When they were going, he kept asking his father "Where is the sacrifice? Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?"His father said "Don't worry, God will provide the sacrifice." They get up top and Abraham binds his son and lays him out on an alt...2020-09-1702 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideYour Worth Does Not Equate to a Dollar Sign“I know what my skills are worth. This is the issue with living in this society where people put their worth to their job. And those are two different things. "In your job, you can have great skills and your skills can be worth something. Your worth as a being, as a human is not equated to a dollar sign.”“[When looking at it from that perspective] it allows you to negotiate in a different aspect, in a different way. It is not you on the negotiation table, it’s your skil...2020-09-1601 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideGround Yourself on Positive Values“We don't have to be anxious all the time, worried about who is coming behind us, we can ground our society in positive values - in cooperation and goal oriented achievement.”2020-09-1500 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideAll Power is About Violence“All power is about violence or the threat of violence…”"We meet... and we have opposing goals - the dominant one in the room is always going to be the one that has the ability to bring or to control violence... it could be violence to your reputation... to your finances, and the most elemental is physical violence...the ability to hurt the other person.” 2020-09-1401 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideWe Can Have Different Opinions & Still Respect One AnotherThis episode happened right after Pastor Neil and Kenny had a vocal argument. As two people who respect each other, they spoke about it, reconciled, and kept it moving. "What I loved about it is that even though we argued, the positive came out afterwards...it’s still all love at the end of the day. ""We can have different opinions and that’s what this is about. You can have different opinions and still have love for each other and still respect one another."2020-09-1301 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThis is the Time for Heroes“To live in the present, hoping for a better future, while making peace with the past so it can enable you to make moves in the present.”“We have been chosen to be here now during this moment of human history. It’s quite a moment. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of where we are.”“This is the time for heroes.”2020-09-1001 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideWe Must Teach Ourselves"I look at things [that teach us] what it is to be a critical thinker. It’s not just books. It’s not just about what school didn't teach us. No, [it also requires self-knowledge]... we must teach ourselves." 2020-09-0901 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Fish and the Loaves“Usually when we preach that story it focuses on the miraculous ability to increase the food that was donated for everyone to share. But what if it’s really a story about spiritual transformation and that it doesn't really matter how little there was as long as everybody got a piece.What if everybody had that awakening at the same moment. Each person took a crumb and a sip. And passed the rest on to share. It doesn't matter how little we each get, we all had something and we shared that. What...2020-09-0802 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideGifts of Leadership“If you are a person who has gifts of leadership and you want to be a leader, you need to think about what that means because being a leader is all about responsibility.”2020-09-0700 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideSurviving vs. Thriving“It’s a mentality of surviving and thriving. We’ve been in survival mode for so long.”“It’s tough. That’s an everyday thing to transition to. [Have to ask yourself]- am I in survival mode or thrive mode?”“In thrive mode, you’re expanding...you have that footing that allows you to see that things are possible and [then you can] go for it.”2020-09-0700 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideLearn From Everybody"Have teachers, whether it’s through the education system, or mentors, or teachers outside of the education system.""In self education, you need to continuously have a teacher.You need to have someone that has more knowledge than you.You need to let go of your ego and say “ok, this person might know more than I know.”"I grew up as an only child.I grew up [thinking] I can’t trust anyone. I gotta just do me, be independent. As I got older, I got ment...2020-08-2503 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideChange is the Only Constant In Life“What are positive 3 takeaways from this episode?The first one is always keep learning.The second is always respect your teachers and try to know who they are.Hold them close and honor them because they are the people that help make you who you are. The third is one try hard to be open to change. I think is probably the thing that most of us hate the most.Obviously it’s constantly going on all the time so it sets up a big...2020-08-2501 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideYou Make Faster Progress If..."You can make a lot of progress spiritually on your own but you can make better and faster progress with a teacher or one or more than one teacher.”"For me becoming a minister was all about sharing my call, my spirituality with others.Basically showing them that what I was experiencing was real.Living just in your head is dangerous. We have to be willing to expose ourselves to examination and discernment.Not in an artificial way but in a deeper way.It takes a lot of courage and it also tak...2020-08-2501 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideBelieve in Your Worthiness2020-08-2502 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideGod is Pure Consciousness in an Infinite Mind“God is pure Consciousness in an infinite mind.”“Perhaps God was the first conscious being ever and woke up in nothingness. And if you think about it for a minute, how do you wake up for the first time?I think we know how hard it is to wake up from a dream that we know is a nightmare or dream and you can't wake up.Conceptualize that.God was an unfocused dreaming mind and at some moment became conscious of being.”“God cannot exist in nothingness so God had to create a pl...2020-08-2402 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThis is the Cue to Tell the Person You Love...2020-08-2300 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideAccepting Love & the Responsibility That Comes With It2020-08-2201 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Foolishness of Words Left Unsaid2020-08-2103 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Battle of Alcoholism2020-08-2002 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe COVID EpisodeSunnyside Reformed Church's music director, Magdalena Dushkina, details her experience with COVID symptoms during the early days of the outbreak. As a mom to an infant we asked:What Does a Post-COVID World Look For Kids?Going through her experience, we asked her: What Keeps Hope in You?She gave us these gems:Don't Let Emotion Guide YouKeep the Laughs GoingBe Less Judgmental Right AwayDon't Let Fear Overwhelm YouYou Can't Operate Out of FearTalk About Your FearWe sp...2020-08-1826 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideLive Life To Your Fullest Capacity2020-08-1702 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideFind Meaning in Everything2020-08-1601 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideWilling to Let People Fail2020-08-1601 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideBe The Michael Jordan of Your Life2020-08-1501 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Moments of Excellence“Learning how to control your emotions and perform in front of an audience as you would in your own living room. That is a whole quantum leap.”“That’s what life is made of - those moments of excellence- those moments when you overcome your fears.” 2020-08-1402 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Bob Marley Story!2020-08-1403 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideSee the Human Being in Every Human Being2020-08-1100 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideDeepest, Truest Place“The goal for me is...about the immediacy of the moment.In that sacred space, trying to create a moment when people are genuinely touched, when they are opened spiritually and emotionally because I'm putting something out there that is true.”“At it’s best, it’s coming from your deepest place.”“The goal is that when everybody leaves, there will have been a moment when they were genuinely and deeply touched. If I can do that, then I’ve done something worth doing because that’s where God lives. In our deepest, truest self.And we s...2020-08-1101 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Now“How do you find peace in regret?I have to continuously remind myself that no matter how hard I think about it, it is never going to change.”“I used to have this subconscious feeling - If I just envisioned that moment perfectly that somehow the outcome will be different - but it’s never going to be different because it’s in the past!”“The future is an imaginary place; the only thing we have really control over or interest in is the present moment, the now."2020-08-0601 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Tombs2020-08-0503 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideBecome Bigger Than You Ever Imagined“In times of stress, we essentially find out who we really can become. It’s something terrible but it’s also, in a weird way, an opportunity to become bigger than we ever thought we could be.”2020-08-0400 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideYou Only Cheat Yourself2020-08-0301 minThe Divine Spark - News from the SunnysideThe Divine Spark2020-08-0100 min