“I Saw His Heart”

Given that my dad succumbed to Alzheimer’s, I was especially touched by this On the Road segment from the CBS Evening News on May 23, 2014. Here is the transcription, courtesy of CBS News.

AS MAN’S MIND FADES, HEART COMES TO THE RESCUE

Doris and Melvyn Amrine

Remembering 60 years back is hard for anyone, but for Melvyn Amrine, it’s especially challenging.

Melvyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s three years ago. For his wife, Doris, it’s been hard to watch. But she says something happened recently to remind her that the man she fell in love with is

World Premiere of the “Through God’s Eyes” Video Trailer!

I am pleased to present the brand-new video trailer for Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World.

As I mention in the video, I’d be happy to send you a free c

Everything Else Can Wait

During his sermon at the Thursday evening service tonight, the minister spoke about investing your energy and focus in the ways of the world instead of deepening your relationship with God.

He said to imagine a banker telling you, “If you invest your money with us, you’ll do well for a while. But we guarantee that at some point—it could be next year or forty years from now—all your savings will be

A Day in the Spiritual Life

Staying centered, balanced and attuned to divine will is an ongoing quest that demands daily discipline. Enlightenment is not a cumulative goal; it is as fragile as a snowflake because one careless act can melt it away.

As far as the Buddha Nature is concerned, there is no difference between sinner and sage . . . One enlightened thought and one is a Buddha, one foolish thought and one is again an ordinary person.
Hui Neng

With the hope that it may inspire you and give you some ideas on how you can better practice the presence of God, here is what my daily spiritual practice looks like:

FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

HERE’S WHAT I DO: I start each morning by practicing the presence as soon as I wake up. Lying in bed, I recite:

I encase Divine Mother in my bosom.
I am radiant health, I em eternal youth, I am inexhaustible energy.

HERE’S WHY I DO IT: The first affirmation, which helps me instantly connect to Divine Source, is from the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, author of the spiritual classic Autobiography of a Yogi.

Please note that I use the word “God” throughout for the sake of consistency and convenience, fully recognizing that there are probably as many interpretations of God as there are people reading this post. Many people view God as the source of all existence, many others as existence itself. Whether you view God as a being, a universal intelligence, a force, or any other type of form or formless entity, I trust that you will substitute the name, term, or reference for “God” that you are most comfortable with each time you come across the word.

I phrase the next affirmations as I do because a powerful way to begin an affirmation is with the words, “I

A Tree for Gulab

Front row (l-r): Satish Lohchab (young uncle), Sonia Rathee (cousin’s daughter), Sheela Rathee (cousin), Asha Rani (sister), Hoshiar Singh (father), Kamla Singh (wife), Sonika Lohchab (young aunt), Deypika Singh (daughter).
Back row (l-r): Surajmal Rathee (cousin’s husband), Sahil Rathee (cousin’s son), Sundeyp Singh (elder son), Sanskar Lohchab (dearest cousin), Nitin Saharan (sister’s son), Vishwanath Iyer ( son-in-law) Aashi Lohchab (loveliest cousin), Mark Rea (devotee friend).
Not pictured: Abhineyt (Nick) Singh (younger son), Usha Rathee (sister), Jay Rathee (brother-in-law), Sonia Rathee (sister’s daughter), Ankur Rathee (sister’s son), Priya Saharan (sister’s daughter), Baljit Saharan (brother-in-law), Ompati Saharan (sister’s mother-in-law), Savita Rathee (sister’s daughter), Vikas Rathee (son-in-law), Santosh and O. P. Rathee (Vikas’ parents), Ompati Lohchab (grandmother), Anubha Jalsingh (cousin).

The irreplaceable Gulab Singh

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of Gulab Singh, a devoted family man and a fellow usher at the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple in Encinitas, California. I loved serving with Gulab. He was a model of sincerity, devotion and generosity of spirit.

Today, Gulab’s extended family gathered on the Temple patio in front of the tree that they had

Dr. Robert Fisch: Kissing the Cold, Hard Marble

Dr. Robert Fisch

I was blessed with a wonderful father and did my best to be the best father I could be as well. So I was especially moved by Holocaust survivor Dr. Robert Fisch‘s tribute to his father in his remarkable book, Fisch Stories: Reflections on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Here are three excerpts that capture the quiet heroism of the father and the loving devotion of the son.

My father enjoyed everything life could offer: music, food, theater, playing dominoes, and so forth. He and my mother had a shop that sold poultry and game. He was an exceptionally good person, and he helped so many needy people, mostly children in orphanages. In 1944, when he was 53 years old, Hungarian Nazis took him to a Hungarian concentration camp near the German border. A survivor told me that on the way he gave his food away, saying “I

No, No, They Can’t Take That Away From Me

In church yesterday, the minister related a touching story. When he and his brother would visit their grandmother at a nursing home, his brother, who was an accomplished pianist, would play old Gershwin tunes, which the residents greatly enjoyed.

One day, his brother was playing “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” which was introduced in the 1937 Fred Astaire film, Shall We Dance. As his brother played, the minister noticed that an elderly couple had lit up at the first few notes. It clearly was a special song to them. The woman wasn’t a resident there but would come visit her husband all day every day. He had been incapacitated by

Alan Pritz: Give Yourself to God

Alan Pritz

Alan Pritz is a spiritual and meditation teacher, author, musician, life coach, consultant and a personal friend. Here is an inspiring essay he wrote for InspireMeToday.com.

GIVE YOURSELF TO GOD
by Alan Pritz

Given 30 seconds to say what is most important in life, it’d be simple: give yourself to God.

God gets a mixed review, obviously a favorable spin from religious or spiritual types, but still one with vague undertones of uncertainty. The advice I gave sounds good but what does it really mean, why is it important, and how should one go about doing it?

Let’s cut to the chase. Life on earth isn’t easy. Even when wealthy or healthy, people may be miserable. With no way to know what’ll happen one minute to the next, control and security are illusory. Money, power, fame, sex, etc. promise happiness but inevitably disappoint because they lead nowhere. And more, they distract us from

Doing Little Things with Great Love

In the book, The Practice of the Presence of God, the priest who interviewed Brother Lawrence, a kitchen worker in a seventeenth-century Paris monastery, recorded that Brother Lawrence told him:

That we ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.

What a powerful statement. Few of us will achieve greatness in the eyes of the world, but all of us can achieve greatness in the eyes of God simply by performing your duties with pure intention, a spirit of service and a loving heart.

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go on out and sweep streets like

The Pure, Loving Spirit of Gulab Singh

The irreplaceable Gulab Singh

Today, I attended a memorial service for a most remarkable man. Gulab Singh, a fellow usher at the Self-Realization Fellowship Temple in Encinitas, California, had been felled by a heart attack on Saturday, January 26, at the age of fifty-nine. I loved serving with Gulab. He was a model of sincerity and devotion, and I’m very glad I told him all that in an e-mail just five days before his passing.

Gulab’s memorial service was heartfelt, moving and poignant. I teared up a number of times, and I know I was not alone in doing so. Gulab was the magnetic center of a large, extended family of more than two dozen people, and was dearly loved, respected and admired by all.

To know Gulab was to be uplifted, for he had undergone a wondrous transformation in the last six months of his life. As his loved ones explained in their eulogies, he had become a pure vessel of divine love, offering love and kindness to all who crossed his path. At the end of the service, a friend of Gulab’s came to the podium to share a story. He had had lunch with Gulab three weeks before Gulab passed away. The friend, who  had been out of town for a number of months, told Gulab that he had heard of his spiritual transformation and asked him what the source of it was. He said Gulab got very quiet; he tried to speak but got choked up and needed a few moments to compose himself. Finally, he said, very simply, “I realized that

My Radio Interviews for “Through God’s Eyes”

Here are some radio interviews I did for my book, Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World. I hope you enjoy them!

Here is an enjoyable interview I did with Michele Meiche for her Awakenings Radio Show. We discussed how to choose love as a way of life, why surrender is the cornerstone of a spiritual life, and how to align your will with Divine Will.

Here is our thirty-seven-minute interview from January 18, 2017:

Dennis Raimondi on the air with “Speaking Freely”

I had a great time talking to Dennis Raimondi of Speaking Freely. I had gotten to know Dennis, whose radio show originates from KRUU-FM in Fairfield, Iowa, during his frequent trips to Encinitas, California, where I live. Dennis enjoyed my book, Through God’s Eyes, and suggested I come on his show. It was a real pleasure being a guest on Dennis’ “Religion and Spirituality” series.




Here is our twenty-eight-minute interview from October 24, 2014:

Spiwe Pierce

I very much enjoyed this two-part interview on The Spiwe Show on July 13 and July 20, 2014. Spiwe and I had met some years ago as members of Self-Realization Fellowship and it was great reconnecting with her.









Here is our thirty-six-minute interview from July 13:

Here is our thirty-nine-minute interview from July 20:

I had a wonderful time talking to Yogacharya Ellen Grace O’Brian about spirituality and healing on her show, The Yoga Hour, on February 27, 2014. Click on the audio player below to hear our 58-minute interview.

It was a joy talking to Julie Geigle for her Lifeclass Book Club. Here are the seven interviews we did, from January 7 through February 11, 2014. The videos average about thirty minutes each.

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (1 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (2 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (3 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (4 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (5 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (6 OF 7)

INTERVIEW WITH JULIE GEIGLE (7 OF 7)

I had a great time talking about intuition and spiritual principles with Lindsay Marino on her show, Intuitive Guidance with Lindsay Marino, on December 9, 2013. Click on the audio player below to hear our 39-minute interview.

My interview with Greg Voisen of Inside Personal Growth on May 10, 2013, was a stimulating Q&A session. Click on the audio player below to hear our 37-minute interview.

My interview with Paul Streitz, author of Blue-Collar Buddha, aired on Holly’s Advice for B2C on January 15, 2013. Click on the audio player below to hear our 48-minute interview.

It was a pleasure talking to Kathy Kirk on her radio show, A New View of Life, on November 6, 2012. Click on the audio player below to hear our 45-minute

Download a Free 44-Page PDF of “Through God’s Eyes” Excerpts!

To read excerpts from my book, Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World, download this free 44-page PDF sampler. It includes:

• an overview of the book
• the complete table of contents
• the Foreword by Caroline Myss
• my Introduction
• chapter excerpts
• a sample end

Videos of My Book Readings for “Through God’s Eyes”

I am pleased to present this video of my book reading for Through God’s Eyes at the Hopkins Health and Wellness Center in

Whatever You Do, Do It to Please God

In church this morning, the minister said that when he was a young monk, he had taken two or three weeks to completely rewrite a booklet that he was asked to revise. After submitting it, a senior monk called him and, not knowing he was talking to the monk who had written it, told him that the original was better written and that all it had needed was a little revision here and there.

The minister said he resisted the impulse to feel frustrated and resentful. Instead, he told himself that this is what God wanted and that that was all that mattered. Cheerfully, and with greater

Through God’s Eyes: Reader Testimonials

One of the most rewarding parts of writing Through God’s Eyes: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Troubled World has been getting so many uplifting e-mails from people all over the world. Receiving such enthusiastic feedback has been both gratifying and humbling. Here are excerpts from the wonderful e-mails and reviews I’ve received. My thanks to everyone who has read and enjoyed the book.

I have read many spiritual and self-improvement books and this book is one of the best. To me it is third only to the Bible and Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. Phil Bolsta has done an excellent job in writing this book. I highly recommend it to all truth seekers.
Clay Daves, Oceanside, California

Thank you for your book, Through God’s Eyes. Every page feels like rain from heaven. I have never read such a book. So much wisdom. I am glad you put it in my hands.
Rosalina Gonzales, Carlsbad, California

Your book Through God’s Eyes is truly extraordinary and has become a permanent part of my daily spiritual reading routine. There is so much deep inspiration and spiritual nourishment in it! Unlike other anthologies of inspirational quotes, your own writing that connects the various texts is on the same high level, sometimes even more so, as the quoted passages. This book has become a favorite gift to give my friends and family. Everyone who has received it has praised and loved it. Thank you for this wonderful gift that you have given all of us.
Alberto Bird, New York City

I have found in this book a rich, spirited source of uplift and assurance for myself and for others. I lent it out before reading it from cover to cover, having recognized early on its enormous value for people struggling with existential and spiritual issues.
It is readily accessible, and notably to those who shy away from organized religion but are longing for connection with the divine qualities that are our birthright, but have been lost along the way.
I love it, and am filled with gratitude to the inspired author, Phil Bolsta.
Briar, a trauma counselor in New Zealand

I am rereading my book for the third time, and each page delivers a beautiful message to me—a message of wisdom, compassion, encouragement, forgiveness, and HOPE. Phil Bolsta’s book has been an important and empowering healing tool for me on my healing journey. Whether I have turned to it in desperation or for affirmation, it has never let me down. I have read hundreds of healing, self-help, and spiritual guidance books; this book has been life-changing and life-saving. Thank you, Phil, for sharing hope, love, and light with the world.
Cheryl N., Minnesota

Through God’s Eyes is filled with priceless gems of wisdom and inspiration from sages, saints, and other legendary figures from many ages. You can measure the skill, artistry, and soulful connection of the author by the way his words impact your life. They strike at your very core. I have written some of his thoughts on Post-it Notes and placed them in strategic places throughout my home to uplift me and remind me of what is truly important. This book is not just inspirational; it’s also very practical. You’ll find a strong, loving, and satisfying resolution to many of life’s most pressing problems. The title of the book is Through God’s Eyes but you’ll find that the author’s ability to weave together his profoundly enriching commentary with inspired quotes from great thinkers throughout history will actually provide a momentary glimpse into the very heart of God.
Lew B., Carlsbad, California

Through God’s Eyes is a deep and profound spiritual journey that not only inspires, but guides, and allows us to realize that it is through a power beyond ourselves—a belief, a vision, a reflection of faith, hope, and love—which ultimately helps us become the best version of ourselves! Thank you, Phil, for sharing this with the world! And thank you for all of the great quotes!
Nguyen Dennen, Amazon Reviewer

If the world is ending and you can only run out the door with one book, this would be the one to take. Why? Because it contains wisdom from around the world from humanity’s finest. A charming narrator guides you through this journey of quotations and pearls, quips, and answers to how to live life well from Saints and Sinners all. Along with sharing his personal experiences, there are challenging questions for self-reflection. The book reads like a long conversation and a reference book all in one. I highly recommend it for writers and novelists, bloggers, twitterists, and spiritual seekers who love quotes to meditate on and post on Instagram. Will there be Instagram when the world is ending? I hope so! Buy this book so you can keep posting. Also buy it because it is one of the biggest, thickest books I have ever owned and if you hug it, it hugs you back.
Boa Boa, Amazon Reviewer

Russ and I looked at your book more carefully this morning, and we were both amazed at the scope of it. Just the sheer task of gathering the material from so many sources and then organizing it into the separate themes of the chapter headings boggles my mind. I can see how this must have taken years to put together. It’s not just a compilation of others’ thoughts but your own interwoven one-by-one between theirs.
I’ve been listening to classical music lately through a music-appreciation class I’ve been taking. This book reminds me of a composer writing a symphony—setting down on musical notation paper all the thousands of notes that all the different instruments will play. I can’t begin to understand how such a mind would work to be able to do that, and I feel the same way about your book!
I thought the cover was so inspiring too. I really imagined it was a closeup photo of a human eye until I read inside that it was a nebula! What a great idea.
Russ and I will both appreciate this book for many years to come. We like to read each other inspiring stories regularly as a way to connect and relax in the evenings since we don’t watch television. We can pick this up and just open it at random and find something beautiful to enjoy together. It’s a book to treasure, one paragraph or page at a time.
Rita, Encinitas, California

It was so great to meet you last night at your book reading! The reading from your book was absolutely beautiful, and I truly appreciated the great discussion that followed. As I was walking into my apartment last night, with great anticipation to dive into your book, I glanced down at the cover and had a realization. I knew, without a doubt, that the reading of this book is going to change my life. It was a lovely moment, and I’m so grateful. So thank you, thank you for all you’ve already added to my life in such a short time! I began reading your book last night before bed, and I woke up this morning with a new perspective. I have fresh eyes, my heart is more open, my gratitude has expanded, and my faith heightened.
Aerica Benson, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Through God’s Eyes is a transformational book. After reading the chapter, “See Every Moment as a Gift,” I found myself not feeling so hung up in the drama of life. Instead, I saw that everything that happens to me presents an opportunity to learn valuable life lessons. After many such “Aha!” moments, I realized that this book was a catalyst that would help me make substantial changes. I already feel clearer and happier and so thankful to be drawing even closer to God. This book is worth its weight in gold!
Julie Briggs, Encinitas, California

I must admit that I was surprised by the book’s size and weight and sheer volume: 530+ pages! Then I noticed that the composition was unlike most books, mainly grouped into quotations by learned Masters and interspersed with the author’s comments. “Oh, a bunch of quotes, hmmm . . . ,” I thought. “There’s only SO much concentrated wisdom that I can take in one sitting. This book may really take a while . . .” However, once I began reading I found myself unable to put the book down. It literally made me late for work, dinner, the dentist, you name it! The quotations are beautifully grouped into categories. The author’s comments are so insightful that I often found myself reading only his text from one page to the next, and only then going back and “scooping up” the related quotations. In fact, read this way, this is a beautifully cohesive book in its own right. The self-reflection questions at the end of each chapter, as well as the author’s personal insights, are added bonuses. Another gem is the chapter on affirmations with powerful and beautiful examples. I’ve had this book for several months and it is never out of arm’s length.
David Wahler, Rancho Mirage, California

I’m an avid reader and seldom write reviews, but this book is worth reviewing. Through God’s Eyes examines and explains the complexity of the human condition with distilled, relentless eloquence. The words in this book pop off the page and speak to the heart of the matter on so many important issues. It’s unique.
Do you have a dear friend going through a difficult time? Do you need a perfect graduation gift? Does your child need fodder for a college essay? Or maybe you need to do something kind for yourself. This book is compassionate and multidimensional. It doesn’t matter if you are a Montague or Capulet, Democrat or Republican—this book is generous, instructive, and illuminating. It can even give you a kick in the butt when you need it.
Heidi Stokes, Minneapolis, Minnesota

I am so grateful for the copy of Through God’s Eyes you sent me. I will let you have photos of how I have marked quotes, highlighted your comments, wrote in it, etc. It’s a work of art. I am finding my way. I know it has always been there but now I see more clearly.
Jeanine Simpson, Cape Town, South Africa

The best books contain unexpected delights, surprises that enrich the soul and also give us hope. This is a book about finding peace and purpose through the waves of life. I call this book my “modern day 8 ball.” I love asking it a question and opening to a page for my response. I always find true inspiration and am so grateful Phil has shared his wonderful creation with all of us.
Mindy Nye, Santa Monica, California

Regardless of your religious beliefs, Through God’s Eyes is composed of transformative truth and wisdom for the ages. For those seeking answers and guidance in our chaotic world, there is no better sourcebook for the soul. It is so eloquently written and organized that, if I didn’t know better, I’d think it was an example of divine intervention! A person who isn’t on a spiritual journey will WANT to be after reading a few pages! It brings THAT much clarity. Phil Bolsta’s book has become my spiritual bible, always at my bedside.
Holly Schroeder, LaPorte, Indiana

Through God’s Eyes is a spiritual wonder, giving the seeker a path to find an answer, beginning, or seed in which to grow. I was thrilled to discover a chapter in the book (one of so many) dealing with a like situation currently beating me down. Through Phil Bolsta’s guidance in finding The Divine also came an answer to help overcome my suffering. Through God’s Eyes, a gift from my longtime therapist, sits next to my chair at all times as it is a book you can pick up randomly and find gifts and comfort from throughout the ages.
Sallee Gaines Lang, Mariposa, California

Through God’s Eyes is a comprehensive collection of spiritual wisdom from across the ages, and from many different disciplines and philosophies. Phil has done an incredible job of breaking down spiritual issues and principles into categories, and then finding the right quotes from sages, mystics, philosophers, and others to illuminate those categories and provide an answer to virtually any question one could pose. Phil contributes his own insights as well and they are right on, echoing and paraphrasing a collection of wisdom unsurpassed in my reading. So it’s big. And it’s inspired. As a longtime disciple of

Through God’s Eyes: Foreword by Caroline Myss

I am honored and grateful that Caroline Myss, one of my spiritual heroes, agreed to write the Foreword for my book, Through God’s Eyes. Here is what she wrote:

FOREWORD
by Caroline Myss

Caroline Myss

I love this book, beginning with the title all the way through to the final word. Rarely have I been as enthralled by a piece of work as I am by Phil Bolsta’s remarkable Through God’s Eyes. Each time I opened it to read a few pages, I found that I could not stop. I told myself, “Just one more page,” but inevitably I kept on reading, even though I had read many of the chapters before. Part of the exquisite beauty of this book is that you will want to read it again and again. Such is the gift of genuine inspiration and grace.

Yet another reason I love this book is that I am enamored with prayer, reflection, contemplation, and wisdom. We live in a society that is starving and indeed suffering from the absence of all four of those sacred practices—and it shows. Through God’s Eyes presents immeasurable opportunities for prayer, reflection, and spiritual inquiry, all threaded together by a continuum of wise teachings in such a way that the reader is brought into a gentle state of contemplation with ease. You will find yourself wanting to reflect on the insightful writings of the numerous mystics, theologians, philosophers, poets, scientists, and writers that Phil has cleverly gathered together. Over two pages, for example, he blends the wisdom of Henry David Thoreau, C. S. Lewis, Deepak Chopra, Rabindranath Tagore, and my personal favorite, Teresa of Avila. I could create a weekend workshop centered around the