Tuesday, January 3, 2012

A Good Seed

4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” -Luke 8:4-11

What kind of seed am I? I know what I desire to be but I must ask what kind of seed am I? As I ponder this question I must be honest with myself and says it depends. It depends upon whether I am at my best or not.

I am not dead so my faith and my praxis have not been choked out. I still have life, and no matter how dark and depressed I have felt, I was able to summon enough hope and faith and belief so as to not to give up.

There have been times when I was in places where there was no nourishment. There have been experiences where I felt that people were trying to trample on my faith, and it seemed as if some were trying to stamp it out. It was at those times I had to call up my spiritual reserve and remember my grounding.

It was at that time that I had to trust in the lord and lean not to my understanding. It was at the time that clichés ‘that I had spoken rose to the occasion and motivated me to continue. Clichés’ like “He never puts on you, more than you can bear”, “He didn’t bring you this far to leave you. “and ‘That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” The toughest one was that “I am not to become bitter but better.”

I am grateful that God infused within me the ability to move forward to tie a knot in my faith as I searched for nourishment. I am grateful for the ways in which God nourishes. I am grateful that belief, faith and perseverance did not allow my faith to be choked out.

This passage helps me to understand that that in your faith life you will be confronted with difficulties that can break and kill you, or strengthen and propel you toward your purpose. I choose the latter and I count upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit as I take responsibility for my faithfulness as I remember that God is faithful to those who are faithful to God by completing the assignments which God has given. I may give up on certain people and institutions but I will never give up on God. God’s community are those who are called out and together to produce and facilitate good fruit.

In striving to be the seed that produces good produce, I may be bumped and bruised, misunderstood and shunned, shielded and healed, received and celebrated, happy or sad. However, most of all I need to be faithful and self assured that the path that I am on is ordained, purposeful, commissioned and blessed, in this moment and in the moments to come.

As I celebrate the victory of faith, hope, belief and life and seek to be the good seed to bless and be blessed more than a hundred-fold, my prayer is for God to preserve my noble and good heart, and allow me to continue to hear the word, retain it, and preserve it as evidenced in a good crop. In this way I can cultivate the God in me and by my mere presence help to cultivate the God in you.

Namaste’

Yours truly,
Rev. Dr. Gary A. Williams

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Love, Honor and Cherish




I promised to love, honor and cherish Greta during our wedding ceremony. I promised to have and to hold her until death do us part. One of my favorite things to do is to officiate at weddings, especially if Greta and I have an opportunity to share with the couple in pre-marital counseling. I love to impart the wisdom that I have acquired over the years.

Most couples come in glossy eyed and in love. They ignore all the idiosyncrasies of their beloved because they are “in love.” Sometimes one or the other has a plan to mold the other person into who they want them to be. They are caught up in living happily ever after. They have a very small understanding of what it means to be husband and wife. They have no idea that it is they who will determine the definitions and the quality of their relationship and marriage.

Most couples plan on patterning their marriage on a movie or television marriage they have observed. They have no concept of what it takes to be and stay married. Sometimes they don’t know each other’s favorite colors, what church they attend, how many children they want or how many times a week they would like to have sex. They are also unaware of the many tools available that can aide them in building the marriage of their joint dreams. They come in with expectations of having a happy, successful, and loving marriage. Yet, they have never shared their expectations with each other.

Men and women have needs. They have dreams and expectations. They have unspoken emotional needs that their partner met which made them come to want to get married. These needs need to be spoken and negotiated. When they are not friction occurs and marriages move toward divorce.

Our approach is preventative. We want to equip couples who are in love to be able to enhance and deepen their lives through their love connection. Greta and I have decided to make our marriage fun, thus we seek opportunities to experience adventure. It is one of our many spiritual practices. We both like to learn and laugh. We both like to explore and we both believe that life presents us unlimited possibilities.

We think that most couples come together to explore, and experience life together. They want to have fun and a good time. They want to have years of enjoyment. Our goal is to share with them that these things don’t just happen rather it takes work and intention to make it happen. However it is possible to have fun and excitement throughout one’s marriage. Self-reflection, communication, and meditation are some of the tools that are helpful in creating love that will last.

Self-reflection and knowledge will help one to be able to share their feelings and insights with their partner. The practice of meditating helps the practicing partner gain clarity and deepens their personal relationship with self and God. It deepens one’s spirituality and gives one more to share with their helpmate. This sharing deepens their intimacy and improves their marriage. This is one of the cornerstones to building a healthy marriage. As a husband these practices helps me to love, honor and cherish my Greta.

Though the years I’ve learned that communication is the key that opens my wife’s heart. I have learned that listening, responding and acting appropriately makes my wife feel loved, honored and cherished. It demonstrates to her that I care and that she is indeed important to me. This results in the deepening of our love connection. This aides her in feeling as though I love, honor and cherish her. I do.

Based on my research, many men think that dollar signs are involved in making their wives feel loved. They make the mistake of thinking that their mate’s love is for sale. They confuse affection with “love for sale.” I am certain that most wives love “thoughtful” gifts. I emphasize thoughtful.

Thoughtful gifts demonstrate that a husband has indeed been listening. Often wives may feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities for children and housework (not to mention work pressures). A husband can help out with child responsibilities for an extended time and give her a day or two at a spa. He can also surprise her by arranging a babysitter and take her out for an evening of her choice. It also helps to have an iron-clad date night wherein husband and wife decide on various activities so as not to develop a boring routine.

Greta loves to know that I am listening to her when she speaks. She loves to know that I am interested in her world and in things that are important to her. She loves to have new experiences and loves to learn new things with me. She loves to know and feel that I am fully present with her. I chose to be with her years ago and she loves to know that I continue to choose her. She loves to hear it and loves when I demonstrate it. I love the same things.

What is key to all husbands and wives is that they (you) find out what behaviors and activities are pleasing to each other. It is important that you communicate and do those things that will build goodwill and intimacy with each other. For the husband it is important that he demonstrate that he loves, honors and cherishes his wife.

The only way to do it is to ask her (your wife) how she wants this vow to be enacted. Love is an action word. These acts create love deposits and help to strengthen the love bond between husband and wife. Fulfilling the promise of “love, honor and cherish” need not be a chore, rather it is a privilege. After all, God has drawn you to your helpmate and as she is your helpmate, you need to be hers as you love, honor and cherish her.

Yours truly,

Rev. Dr. Gary A. Williams

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

“Hope In The Midst of Present Realities”





“Hope in the midst of present realities”

Faith the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen… -Hebrews: 11:1

Faith is paramount. In the midst of the reality of tough times hope has to be exercised. Hope and faith are tied together. I have preached many sermons on hope, faith, belief and transformed minds and spirits. I have watched and prayed with many to overcome surmountable odds. I have seen God move in the lives of so many people. I have even sought to be the answer to someone else’s prayer.

Yet on my turn when things aren’t going exactly as I would have them, when some parts of my life are difficult, when it is time to apply the faith that I’ve taught and preached, I must ask myself, “Do I believe in the faith that I’ve preached?”I have come to understand that God is faithful. God does work in ways that I don’t understand. I have learned personally that God may not come when we want him to, however God always comes on time.

I am guilty of worrying and doubting despite the fact that God has continually made a way for me. When I focus on the good, when I focus on my fickle likes, I must admit that God is good and God has and is providing. I have learned that struggles tests your character and can pull the worst or the best out of you.

I have learned that every day I wake up I have a choice, a choice as to whether to focus on the good or to focus on the bad. I have firsthand experience that focusing on the bad attracts bad. Focusing on good attracts good. There is a colloquialism which proclaims “it’s all good.” This proclamation is true and is in fact biblical. After God created the world, God stated, “It is good.” –Genesis 1:31

Faith is paramount in a marriage. I am blessed to have a cheerleader, friend, companion and partner, in a wife. My lover truly loves me and seeks to comfort and challenge my soul. In order to weather the storms of life a husband and wife must apply faith. They must have the resolve and determination to continue to journey through life together and not let the realities of life tear them apart. They must continue to find ways to nurture and grow their love. They must hold on to hope. Greta is and has been my inspiration because she practices the principles upon which we agreed to be the foundation for our relationship and marriage.

We’ve learned that marriage could be a spiritual practice. This was the area we wanted to gain the most intimacy. Thus we decided to make our marriage our most important spiritual practice. We treat it as a sacrament, “a means of grace.” As a result we have been blessed abundantly. We have gained the closeness we experienced when we first met and began dating. This allows us to accentuate the positive in each other and it allows us to make continuous love deposits and decrease withdrawals.

We know that our marriage is sacred and is a reflection of our faith. The way we respond to each other and proceed in life together has become a demonstration of our faith. For us to decide to journey through life together is ultimately an act of faith. We intentionally seek to be more intimate as we uncover more about ourselves and each other. It allows us to celebrate each other and our love.

It has propelled us in our quest to share what we learned with others as we share principles that authentically work for us. Another aspect of our practice is meditating and speaking words of promise, commitment and affirmation to each other through mantras.

By using a daily mantra, we motivate ourselves and each other by reminding ourselves to apply Love, Trust, Forgiveness, Compassion, Kindness, Generosity, Mutual Respect, Empathy, Acceptance, and Gratitude. These are principles which we practice as we grow our love and continue on our journey to ONEness.

Our experience bears witness to the power of Love. We will continue to share it with others in hopes of changing the world one relationship at a time by accentuating the positive and sharing with others these principles and practices which are deeply spiritual and based in biblical and life truths.

We seek to bless as we are blessed. We pray the same for you and yours.

Namaste’

Rev. Dr. Gary A. Williams


Copyright 2011 Gary A. Williams. All Rights Reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced, distributed, performed publicly, displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of Gary A. Williams.



Friday, May 6, 2011

Ten Spiritual Practices For Co-Creating A Successful Marriage

Greetings Friends,

It is finally done! Our book, “Ten Spiritual Practices For Co-Creating A Successful Marriage” is completed and is now available on Kindle Amazon.com for your review and/or purchase. The completion of this book was a struggle and has been a labor of love. These are the principles upon which have built our marriage. Greta and I find that they help us to grow our souls individually and as a couple

Staying married takes work commitment and intent to stay married and enjoy it. Greta and I are committed to staying married and have fun as we grow spiritually, intellectually and otherwise. As we have worked with other couples over the years we have worked on our individual selves and our marriage. “Ten Spiritual Practices For Co-Creating A Successful Marriage” comes out of these experiences.

Greta and I pray that this e-book will give you perspective on love, marriage, God and spiritual principles that will aide you as you seek to become ONE in heart, mind, body and spirit. It can be located at:
http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Practices-Co-Creating-Successful-ebook/dp/B004Z2D3TE.

We hope that you will get a copy of our book and be blessed. We believe that it will help you to co-create the love and marriage of your dreams!


Yours Truly

Gary A.

Rev. Dr. Gary A. Williams

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tantra Sacred Sex

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. –I Corinthians 13(NIV)

Greta and I believe that for love to make the world go around, it must begin in the home between husbands and wives. We believe that Love must be made over and over in the household between husbands and wives. Greta’s and I have a desire, to help marriages survive, blossom, grow, live and love!

Our community suffers because of the damage that divorce and feuding parents cause to our societal children. Too many marriages end because husbands and wives do not know how to get along. Marriage licenses are given without minimum requirements. Virtually no information has to be absorbed for a couple to apply for and receive a marriage license.

Many couples do not realize that a good marriage takes effort to build. Television gives us several models of marriages, yet they are only glimpses of what real marriages are like. Between a husband and wife, a good marriage takes endless conversation, love, determination, mutual respect and compromise. Husband and wife must work on themselves, as they are patient with one another. They work to embody the spiritual principle of love expressed in the passage of scripture quoted above. They must understand that life is a journey with many roadmaps and opportunities to grow and be enlightened.

Greta and I believe that we are spiritual beings having a human experience. We believe that we are blessed to live and seek to be in gratitude. We believe that we are to develop our spirituality and grow as a result. Thus, we seek to experience events and gather tools that are consistent with our belief to help us to live out our spiritual reality.

One such tool is Tantra. For us, Tantra is a science and a practice. Tantra sees all life as being connected. Tantra is a spiritual practice that helps to integrate our hearts, spirits and sex. Translated from Sanskrit, the word “Tantra” means to “weave” together the intricacies of life into one of balance and harmony with yourself, God and your lover and helpmate. It believes that all life is co-dependent and that what affects you affect me.

Tantra also sees the spiritual and physical connected. It is practiced in many ways just like any other spiritual/religious philosophy. One of the many reasons we practice it is because we have found it to help us understand ourselves as a person. It helped us to open our heart to self and each other.

Our Tantra practice encourages us to see each other as lover and helpmate as we embody Christian scriptures for guidance. It helped us peel away layers of hurt, pain, disappointments, and frustrations that had built up over years and has given us tools to help us as we move forward within our individual and collective spiritual journeys. It has given us additional insight to our Christian practices for spiritual growth and exercise. It helps us to see our love and marriage with spiritual lenses. It helps us grow in Oneness.

We are pleased to begin to share more about our practice and how it has blessed us to be a blessing to each other and other married couples. Our Tantra coaches, Al Link and Pala Copeland joined us on our “Sex in the Morning Show with Gary A. & GretaÔ” as we conversed about Tantra Sacred Sex and our unique experiences and methods of practicing. Included is the link to our Youtube channel. The latest episode is titled, “Tantra Sacred Sex.”

I hope you enjoy and apply some of the teachings to your life and marriage. This interview is imbedded below. Other episodes can also be found at: www.Youtube.com/SensuousSeminars1. Please subscribe to our channel!


Living in Love and Gratitude

-Rev. Dr. Gary A.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Loving, Dating & Marriage

September 2, 2010

How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes are doves. How handsome you are, my lover! Oh, how charming! And our bed is verdant. -Song of Solomon 1:15-16

Earlier today I Googled, “How should a man treat his wife?” I was pleasantly surprised that the answer came back, that one should treat one’s wife with “respect, love, faithfulness, honesty and patience.”

Song of Solomon is a book for married couples. It is a book that encourages husband and wives to love one another. It encourages both to treat each other special. It challenges them to take delight in each other and in the pleasures that each has to offer.

Though written rather cryptically in comparison to our time, it gives great details as to how Lovers can enjoy each other. At the core of its teachings is to take time and amuse each other sensuously. Lovers are encouraged to see, taste, touch, smell and hear each other. Husbands are to rest in the bosom of their wives and wives are to open up to their husbands. Each is to give and receive compliments. Most of all they are to be present in the time they have with each other and to love each other slowly.

Men can learn a lot from this book of love and learn to slow down and be with their wives. Men can learn to talk, listen and be vulnerable with their wives. If husband and wife do as this book instructs, they will be drawn together in ONEness and their love will be nurtured and grow. In fact they will create and re-create love, over and over again.

The writer says that the bed is verdant. Verdant means lush, green and/or fertile. The bed is to be used to create, re-create and fuel intimacy. Husbands and wives not only receive permission; they are admonished to make love.

Love however starts outside of the bedroom. It starts with conversation and the free exchange of ideas and feelings. It starts with husband and wife taking the time to know each other’s hearts, dreams and aspirations. Love starts with each feeling that the other cares and desires the other. Before a husband and wife can fully enjoy the fruits of the bedroom and the enjoyment and pleasure of copulation, they must enjoy their time outside of it and before they know it the two will blend seamlessly together.

Husbands and wives must enjoy each other outside of physical contact and develop emotional intimacy. This will build the trust and desire to explore the world and each other in creative and exciting ways. Williard F. Harley, Jr suggests that husbands and wives spend at least twenty (20) hours a week with each other. This time is to be spent having fun and enjoying each other. This time is to be a priority.

Thus Great and I challenge you to do what we do and that is to have a date night, every week. We mix it up and do all sorts of things and take in the world in which we live. It keeps our time together fun and exciting and we both look forward to being with each other at this time.

I have included the link to the latest episode of “Sex in The Morning Show with Gary A. & Greta” its topic is “Sensuous Date.” I hope that you enjoy and apply some of the teachings to your relationship. It can be found at: http://www.Youtube.com/SensuousSeminars1


Eternally in Love with Greta

-Rev. Dr. Gary A.