DEBBIE WILLIAMS's Podcast
DEBBIE WILLIAMS's Podcast
Spiritually Guided - A Life Lesson
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
This week we welcome back Claudette Douglas who is a Pastor, Poet, Performer and ordained inter-denominational Minister. She is a Spiritual Warrior and Cultural Activist with a long history of campaigning for causes of social equality, racial justice, community cohesion and greater spiritual Interaction between all peoples of the earth. In this episode, we take a look at what it means to be spiritually guided in life.
Links
https://spiritfirst.online
debbiewilliamspodcast.com
Welcome to Storytelling. This week we welcome back Claudette Douglas, who is a pastor, poet, performer, and ordained interdenominational minister. She is a spiritual warrior and cultural activist with a long history of campaigning for causes of social equality, racial justice, community cohesion, and greater spiritual interaction between all peoples of the earth. In this episode, we take a look at what it means to be spiritually guided in life. Hello, Claudette, and welcome to the podcast. Hello, Debbie. Thank you for having me back. It's a pleasure to be with you again. Claudette, you strongly believe that we are spiritually led to our destiny. Yes, I do. How can we explain this?
SPEAKER_01The reason why we're spiritually led is really quite simple because we're spiritually created. We are spiritual beings created by a spiritual father. The maker of heaven and earth has made each one of us as singular divine individuals linked to the divine heritage of God Himself. So we were planted here to grow and to grow our understanding that we are physical beings having a spiritual experience. And I believe that the more we open up ourselves to the spiritual reality of our existence, is the more that we've seen that each one of us is chosen. You were born chosen. So we were chosen to discover our true destiny through the process of our life, through elimination, through whatever. You see, life will teach us because we're in a spiritual universe, we realize that we learn by a number of means. We can learn by division or subtraction, addition. That's how the universe, it's a mathematical universe, a creative universe, where mass and numbers and music and noise and sound that burst into light and form. So we are part of each and every particle that ever was and ever will be. And within each moment we have the ability to become part of the greater and wider purpose of our lives.
SPEAKER_00So there are those who strongly believe that they are in control of their lives, they can choose which path they want to go. And there are those who may have done that and come to a crossroads and start to question themselves: well, where do I go from here? What am I meant to be doing? What is my purpose?
SPEAKER_01I think every one of us will life will bring us to that junction one way or the other. And when the people talk about midlife crisis for, you know, men or whatever, all sorts of things, you know, we all go through it where we actually question what we're doing. And many people find many of us gone there where we're in a job, sometimes it's because of status, sometimes our parents expected it of us, sometimes it was for security and safety, and it was might have been needing a need, it could have been paying the mortgage, but it wasn't really fulfilling something deeper within us because we felt there was more within us, there was more we had to give. We had a capacity for something greater, and even if we weren't sure what it is, you know, and so we feel this stirring of the self, the stirring of the inner landscape of the spirit, it starts to stir us. The Bible says deep cause to deep, and sometimes that's what happens. All of a sudden we come up short. Sometimes it can be life events like death, divorce, moving, all sorts of these things cannot actually bring on these emotions as well. And I think they're meant to, they're teachable moments like what am I supposed to learn from this? What am I doing here? And where do I want to go next? You know, what I want to do with the rest of my life, because those are the big questions, and sometimes they're very scary questions to ask because it reminds us of our mortality. We're not here forever, no matter how long we'd like to be. And the fact is, we need to ask ourselves, what are we going to do to leave an imprint of the essence of who we were on this magical space? Because we live in a space of seed time and harvest. That's why I believe that we have a spiritual destiny. But you see, it's there, it's on offer, but you have to access it through your own spiritual means. In other words, many are called, but few are chosen, because you have to go the spiritual route in itself to unlock the keys to the empire, as it were, from within yourself. And that's what it is. So we can go through life blindly, martialing ourselves, demanding that we fit into a stereotype and doing things to please other people because of how it looks and living an external life. That's not necessarily who we want to be, or we can have the courage to really discover who we are and what we're capable of by breaking out of a shell, and a bird cannot fly until it breaks from the shell.
SPEAKER_00I guess this is where some people have hobbies outside of their day-to-day, and they find things that are more fulfilling or provides fulfillment. Absolutely. So when you say that we have to find our spiritual calling, how do we know? How do we access that? What is the process for that?
SPEAKER_01I think just as you're saying, and some of those are fulfilled through the other things that we do with our lives, through our hobbies, through the way that we serve our communities, through because it's the highest calling of our life, whatever that is, however that is served. There's always a higher calling for our lives outside of our own self. And it's when we can serve that and nourish and nurture those things in ourselves and others. We've all got something that we can teach, we can pass on, we can listen. And so it's serving those 12 faculties of the self, as it were, that we can find. So you can have a nine-to-five job, of course, but then find great fulfillment through the other branches of your life which are nourished and healthy. And so it doesn't mean that you have to leave what you're doing to find that fulfillment. Because the goal is, as St. Paul was telling us, is be ye transformed. And what he was saying, I never knew that transformation could happen every moment of the day. Transformation wasn't about the amount of pay I get, it wasn't about the status, it was about my connection with God, the earth, myself, and this moment. And realizing that I am a spiritual being and all things are possible. It's possible for me to change, it's possible for me to grow, it's possible for me to make an impact on the world, it's possible for me to realize some of these dreams. I've got all these sorts of things. It takes time and fighting for our own mind to get to the point where we will realize that and say it and push forward and believe it on a daily basis, because everything else in our lives will come against us and try to defeat us and make us feel down and despondent so we don't see the glory of God around us, the glory of God within us, the glory of God, the mercy, and the fact that we are on this supernatural learning sphere that is hurting through the universe at 90 odd thousand, how many miles an hour, yet still spinning on its access, and as far as you and I know, we're standing or sitting still. It's insanity. Yeah. And yet, still some of us don't see it. And what is the purpose of being here if it's not to grow the greatest gift of all, which is unconditional love in our own hearts for ourselves and each other. And then you realize there is really an enemy that is against that for us to hate ourselves and hate each other. And never before has there been a time, you know, where we see is so prevalent. And because everything is amplified in the time that we're living in, those who've got ears to ears are hearing it, and eyes to eyes are seeing it in real time play out, and seeing how the marshals of hatred could gather and want division, and that's what the enemy wants us to be divided amongst ourselves, within ourselves and within each other, and so it's a very important time spiritually and strategically, I would say.
SPEAKER_00We see that playing out in our everyday life right now. Absolutely. If anyone looks at the newspapers now, they can see hatred, they can see the conflict, and that all stems from hate. You get people looking in the mirror, oh, I hate myself for this reason or that reason.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and you see, there is a spiritual state of mind. What we're seeing play now, I think, is two things. We're seeing that exactly as you said, that oppression, but we're also seeing the benefits for those who withstand that oppression within themselves or from others. And literally do not pander to the hatred and move on. And I would exalt you. You're gonna fly so much that you're gonna brock up any internet they have. We need to say no more. We'll keep it classy. Look, we're talking about this thing, and this is what God has instructed. And I knew that God would come up with something, but what a time! But you see, what that does is make us go within ourselves and want to root out that evil within ourselves that would want us to work against ourselves, to work against our better interest, to restrict ourselves through fear, anxiety, and whatever it is that we're dealing with. And I think every human being, just because of the nature of our history as spiritual beings, the history of sin and where it came from, it infected every one of us, will have that self-doubt and self-hatred. That's exactly what it was. That's what the hatchet job on Adam was. All of a sudden you don't know yourself, you're nothing. One minute you're naming every animal on the planet. This, that, the other, you just have it. Next minute you don't know yourself. You know, you don't know your power. Everything you had, you've given away, and that state of being disembodied in a sense, disembodied beings, not knowing our true power and not knowing that the power of God resides in the mind and the heart of every man. And it's to for the heart and the mind to work together. And you see, this is how whatever it is to be revealed will be revealed. When our hearts and our minds are working together in unison, who we are will be revealed to us and to the world. It's a revelation, yeah. So we are in a constant process of revealing ourselves, and the more that our mind and our heart start to work together, and we realize that we're learning to re-root some of the things that hurt us and that traumatized us. Because, in a sense, it's almost like a spiritual game of thrones, in the sense that our role is always to re-thhrone David, which is the faculty of love, to put David back on the throne in our thinking. No matter what we see, no matter how much we see these despicable, vile people coming out with their hatred and the blindness of what it is, and what the enemy does, you see, leads you down the garden path with all that hatred. And when he's done with you and spit you out, what he wants you to do is finish yourself off as well, but finish off others in the process, and so you know that those people are bound by such agonizing hostility towards themselves that it's been played out in this sort of way. So you're looking at a sort of demonic possession, quite frankly, and it's horrifying and painful and awful.
SPEAKER_00So, how can we lift ourselves up and away from the hatred? Exactly.
SPEAKER_01And that's the question of it, and that coming back to now our own preparation of ourselves, nourishing of our souls, doing our gratitude journal, taking ourselves for our walks, spending time with spirit, and also, as you said, nurturing, and that's something I promised myself to do over this Christmas. I will be reading more of the books I love. All sorts of stuff. Yes. And to touch base with who we are. Because I think it's this mindset of that if we have it, all things are possible. And that's what allows us to break out of the mold. The things that have constrained us. Why shouldn't I achieve these things? Why shouldn't I go forward and why shouldn't I make more of an impact? I want my life to mean more. I want my life to have more impact. I want it to have more depth. I want to make that splash in my little circle and my little pond. Let it be effective, let it mean something because I want to live a life where I feel things. If I have to cry and brook down, I prefer to be that person because of my vulnerability. But then I can also have a heart that's open and love because I don't want to be encrusted in hatred that I don't feel anything at all. Yeah. And so therefore, it's to leave myself open to the elements because, in a sense, it's to be prepared to be inspired by life. And life will Kaleo Gibran, I said, I think he said in his book, isn't it? Love will crucify you as well as crown you. And but it's to be open to the possibilities of the self and to discover the inner landscape within.
SPEAKER_00There's something that you said recently in that you were trying to pursue your own dreams and use your voice in a certain way, and then you realize, well, who am I to choose for myself? Yes. It's not my decision to make.
SPEAKER_01Yes, that was it. And that was the control, you see. I'm not realizing I was a control freak until it was exposed. But it's my own self you're trying to control. So trying to conform and do things in a particular way doesn't mean that you're not to do those things, but it's about, I think the word is surrender. Yeah. It's about surrendering whatever you have and everything that you are, everything. Work life, this, that, they're surrendering it to the spirit, and allowing everything somehow to come together through the grace and mercy of time and a merciful, beneficial guide. And this is where it is absolutely insane that the spirit will send, whether it's a a phrase from Radio 4, a podcast from this, a conversation with this, bits and pieces of all the information and the things that we asked for that very day will be delivered to you by the evening.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01If you're open to it, that the whole universe conspires to help you. The moment that you decide to walk out in faith, the whole universe conspires to help you. And I remember when I first read that, it was a time when I'd been really down as well, and quite depressed, gone to a whole thing, and I was broke. But I remember somehow when I read that, that just resonated and I knew it to be true. But so sometimes we need these reminders and these ushers in our life that hold on a minute, who say you're done? You think we're done, we just come. You know, there is more to me and more to this story than I even thought. And the thing about inspiration is because it doesn't come from us but comes through us, it is such a magnificent thing that I'm being inspired to believe in myself again. It's a miracle in itself. The thought of being alive is a miraculous experience, and that should fill us with wonder and joy on a daily basis. I'm not saying we're skiffing out like Mary Poffins, but it allows us to fill up the love tank. So it's much easier to stay above the fray in terms of the hatred. And the reason why is because it's on a completely different vibrational level. Because everything in the universe is made up of energy waves and ripples and levels. And the genius about us is that we are created by a father who gave us the capacity to discover what he's already put out there for us. So the radio waves, the microwaves, the this waves, and everything else, we've been able to find them, to harness them, and to link them up to something and to make them applicable on earth. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous and astounding in itself.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, but those waves and those energy waves also apply to us. We're part of the cosmic universe. And so once we start to realize if we go with the flow, and this is what this is about, it's about reorientating our mind and our lives to go with the spiritual flow of which we're part of the universal flow, the natural flow. And we realize that those things apply to us. So actually, if I sow into my life, and I sow in gratitude, and I sow in goodness, even when I feel like telling these people about their whatnot, not I'm gonna sow in gratitude, I'm gonna sow in grace, and I'm gonna start to force myself to put these things into my life, you start to see the benefits. Every one of our stories is important, and it's for us to know that for ourselves, the importance of our lives. When I think of the work that you're doing and the importance of it, encouraging people to have their own voices. That is massive. And it's when we can know it. When we start to really understand the impact of the power that we have, is when we're able to mobilize that power for good. Yes. And when you mobilize that power for good, it does much better together. And that's how the enemy is defeated one set at a time. And I always like somewhere in the Bible, it says, you know, don't look for the church to be some sort of building or that that you know here and now. That's not church. Church could be coming out the mosque, it could be coming out this, it could be coming out of the playground. It's people who are going to get together and defeat wickedness and evil. Whether it's going to be a food bank, it's going to be this, it's going to be all sorts of people that you never expected them to be together. But that's how. Because love will outwit evil anytime. And people will come together to do good, and good will prevail. And that's the thing that we will not lose hope because it's to lose if we to lose hope is to believe that good will not prevail. And the fact is, hold on, mate, we already know the end of this story. I got the Bible right here. We know it finished. Good prevails, you know, and it starts to mobilize you. But not only that, the time we're in, arts, culture, media, as you said, looking at everything, there is a synergy. And we realize we're all part of one world. It's sort of one voice, one thing going on. And you start to extrapolate the different things. And so there is a level of awareness, I think, that understands that the fight that we face is not a physical fight, but it's a spiritual one for the mind and the hearts of people. So that we know ourselves, we understand that we're human beings in a time of such technological revolutions, it's easy to diminish the role of humanity and to also, on one hand, elevate the role of humanity. We've destroyed so much of our planet. So to get that balance of where we need to be as custodians of our own lives, of our own circumstance. You see the extraordinary in everything.
SPEAKER_00What are the top three takeaways that people can take from this conversation?
SPEAKER_01Setting that intention, number one, spend time alone with spirit, whether you're walking, whether you're meditating, whether you're doing yoga, whatever it is you do, spend time alone to connect with the voice of spirit so you can hear and start to make sure that you have that dialogue. That's very important. And be working on your hobby or your side hustle in the meantime. Whatever that is, that thing that brings you joy, go after that joy in your life and carefully just nourish yourself through that process, and that process will open up into another process.
SPEAKER_00Claude, what brings me joy is doing this podcast, and I thank you. I thank you once again for being a guest on this podcast. Oh, thank you. And may I say Merry Christmas? And Merry Christmas to you also and wonderful.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much. It's been a pleasure.
SPEAKER_00If you would like to add your comments to this discussion, then please leave any comments on my website, Debbie Williamspodcast.com.