I like the unsubtle title, you know—not a lot of weak soup politeness about it, although it’s perfectly correct.

From the first half: I liked how Joseph said that we are all poor to some extent or in some way, since we all experience limitation on this plane of consciousness, and we are all less than what we could become, and ‘feeding the poor’ as feeding the poor part of your psyche, whatever it is; the traditional thing that everyone thinks of—giving soup to people—remains, but it also remains that that soup is usually given with a healthy side of, This is all you’re entitled to; don’t ask for more, don’t look for more—it’s not religious or fill in the blank; just survive, right.

And a lot of those old school conservatives/radicals know all the logic and all the answers—except for how to be happy you know. Which includes paying the bills, and doesn’t include some of the things they’ve always taught in school, you know. Some things are more necessary…. And some people get paid mostly based on how they make people feel, you know, more so than their credentials….

…. Prepare the feast.

I do feel like he uses the Bible story about the water and the wine very well, although there is much less of the Bible in the first half, if that’s not your thing. Incidentally, and this is not to say that the other way is wrong, but I find that I need to supplement the classic New Thought and the contemporary new age—the kinda impersonal stuff—with simpler stuff like magazines, and alternative personal spirituality, because life’s not fun for me without the gods…. You know, Christianity can be a mental block, and it shouldn’t be required. But that’s not to say that the other way—the classic way, the impersonal way, whatever it is—is wrong. Because it’s not.

…. Christianity is funny, though. It’s sorta personal, but usually it’s on the very edge—like there’s you, the hero of your Greek play, and then there’s a three-actor Chorus…. And that’s pretty much it. I mean, there’s other things too; there’s mothers’ Christianity, saints’ Christianity, etc. etc., novels-and-music Christianity…. But it’s not as personal as polytheism. This three-person Greek Chorus who comments on the action of the play, (and the fewer actors there are, the closer it is to theology, and thus the “better” it is), isn’t like a very ~personable~ sort of god, you know…. He tends not to have a whole lot of specificity to him, right; he’s just…. I mean, he can’t have preferences, can he: except for the old days, when he preferred Jews; but he can’t prefer oaks to sycamores or vice versa, like anybody who spent time outside; or indoors to outdoors, right. He’s a sort of person, I guess; he’s not quite a computerized judge, you know, but…. He’s not quite personable, you know.

And yet from Christian lore many different systems have been drawn and adapted, both inside and on the edges of what’s considered mainstream or ‘acceptable’; and certainly not all of them are entirely pernicious or morally trivial, you know. And certainly the story of human idiocy is a Venn diagram with (perhaps a lopsided one) and not one circle with Christianity….

Prepare your feast. It is your life; if you invite Jesus to your feast and not me, that is no business of mine.

…. To adopt the old terminology of ‘man’ (the race is ‘man’), it is perfectly correct to say that the average man is (to paraphrase) married to criticism; sometimes even people imagined to be extraordinary have signed the same foolish marriage contract, you know.

But don’t think on these things. Think of wealth, think of beauty, think of happiness and peace….

Edit: (1/2024) And actually, I think that, although I don’t know if I’ve got an appreciably larger amount of money yet from my new prosperity ways, but even just beginning to make the internal changes consistent with wanting more money and expecting to get it down the line, has itself brought me more happiness in my life, really. The journey is its own reward—really the primary reward, I think. I think I’d reached the end of the road along the other path, the crabby old road of judgement, you know. It doesn’t cost more to buy a few magazines with happy pictures, as opposed to say a dreadful history book about tyranny and executions, by some tyrannical professor (confessor). Prosperity is a lot more than just money. It’s the journey. Even when I do take some trip somewhere, I believe it will be the celebration of the journey, and not just “factual” accommodations that wouldn’t move me if somehow, by some trick, almost, they came across my path because of some familial meddling, without wanting them, you know. That’s what I think.

I love Joseph Murphy and am always inspired by him, also by this short, well-written book.

He tells us that poverty is a disease like any other mental disease. God wants us to be happy, prosperous and successful.

Wealth is a state of consciousness.

He advises us to perform this simple exercise. Stand in front of a mirror and repeat “Health, wealth and success”. Saying this creates no opposition in our minds, as will affirmations such as “I am a millionaire”, “I am extremely wealthy”, etc. Murphy states that amazing results will follow from regularly carrying out this exercise.

Inner action precedes all outer action.

We learn that we can receive comfort by meditating on the great psalms. For example: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

We need to completely reject the evidence of the senses and give “complete recognition to the spiritual Power within (you) as the only Cause, the only Power, and the only Presence”.

We should say to ourselves freely and joyously during the day, “I walk in the consciousness of the Presence of God all day long”.

We should also say frequently during the day: “God is the source of my supply, and all my needs are met at every moment of time and point of space; there is always a divine surplus.”

Or, “God is the source of my supply, and that supply is mine now.” Or, “There is a divine solution. God’s wealth is my wealth.”

Also, we should release our request with faith and confidence, just as we would cast a seed on the ground or mail a letter to a friend, knowing the answer would come.

“All the riches of heaven are here now within you waiting to be released. Peace, joy, love --- and abundance all exist now. All that is necessary is for you to leave the present now (your limitation) ---- and ---- become one with your ideal.”

In short, this is another inspiring Joseph Murphy book. Highly recommended! ( )