A True Tale of Entertaining Angels Unawares (LLJL)

I was running the Carousel at work the other day...                                                             And even though I normally love being assigned there, this particular day I was feeling a little down but,                                      I was determined to keep my Spirits high for the kids...
Toward the end of my shift as a sweet little boy and his grandfather were exiting,            I was saying my usual cheery "Bye-bye's!", when he stopped suddenly and in a surprising gesture held out his arms to me...
Shocked, as this rarely, if ever, happens, I bent down to this little cherub and received the most loving, warm, long hug than I can ever remember...
I was literally brought to tears as I thanked him and told him gratefully, that he had made my day!
I had been concerned over some issues in my life, and at that moment I realized that this bundle of love, this sweet, unassuming little angel...
Was truly sent to me as a sign...that everything was fine...and that all was indeed well in my world...
And I was reminded of the Biblical words...
"Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing, some people have entertained angels unaware." Heb. 13:2
Look always through the eyes of your Heart and become aware, for there are signs of the glory everywhere and that we are not alone...
But these signs are never more prevalent than in the seemingly random acts of love and kindness we give to one another...
Much Gratitude and Heartfelt Blessings to You, my Beloved Little Earth Angel...
May Your Life Always be Graced with Abundance, Joy and Love!

 

Does God Have A Hero? Eric P. McCarty

 

When you close
your eyes
and see God
within,
You are God's Hero.

When you open your eyes
and see God in everyone,
You are God's Hero.

When you let anger pass you by,
with a smile
upon your lips,
You are God's Hero.

When you hold love
in your heart
and peace within
your mind,
You are God's Hero.

When you behold
the beauty of a
flower
and feel the kinship
with all living things,
You are God's Hero.

When you look at someone
who is different,
and see only how you are alike,
You are God's Hero.

When you feel more joy
in helping another,
than you do
in your own personal gain,
You are truly God's Hero.

When you hear
the true name of God
in every man's religion,
You are a Hero to God.

When you can hear
the silent voice of God
in the wind,
the birds,
or even the
roar of a crowd,
You will hear God
calling You a Hero.

When you take time everyday,
for silent communion
with God,
She listens and You are God's Hero.

When you can see
beyond appearances
and have the wisdom
to see Gods truth
that we are all truly One,
Again,you are God's Hero.

When you have compassion
and love for
All,
even those with whom
you may disagree,
You are a Hero to all mankind and to God.

When you know
that forgiveness is blessed
and forgive all,
No matter how large or small
that trespass against you,
You will be God's Hero.

When you give love to all,
holding none back,
you will know love
for yourself,
for God,
And you will be Her Hero.

When you demonstrate patience
with others
and see Divine Good
in everyone and every event,
You will have learned to see God everywhere,
and you will be Her Hero.

When you trust in God
with all your heart,
Knowing that the Universe
is formed from Love,
your trust will pay off
with love, abundance, joy,
And the knowledge
That you are God's Hero.

When your desire to know God
is so great
that in desperation
you finally give up searching for Her
where She never has been found,
You will find Her
where She has always been,
Watching,
Waiting,
Within,
Ready to welcome
Her Hero Home.

...The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated....

Was just thinking, (which in my case is almost always a dangerous feat:),
Of the quote by I believe, Mark Twain..."The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated"...In reference to an obituary that had been mistakenly published while he was still alive.

I was reminded of one of my favorite tasks when writing for the paper of doing obituaries,
And also, advance obituaries for someone famous that the paper will just periodically update and then pull up and use once that person has passed...
I always loved this task, the supreme honor of putting to pen the Celebration of One's Life...

But I always wondered if these people really knew, while they were still alive and kicking...how much they were revered and loved!

And it got me to wondering what I would like most to be remembered for in my life and what will be said of me when I make that great transition...
And just thinking why do we wait to say those things until after someone has passed...

Wouldn't it be nice to be reminded of how others view us and of the contribution that we have made in their lives, before we have crossed over...

Take the time today, to tell as many people in your sphere, what their presence has really meant to you in your life...here and now...don't wait until they have left this earthly existence:)

Better yet, make time, make plans, to make memories and share as many precious few  moments with them as you possibly can...
 
Don't Wait!
Just Do It!
Do it Now!

The Beautiful Flower in the Broken Pot ~ Author Unknown

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw.

Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning."

He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..."

For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning."

I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch.

He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again.

And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning.

As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.

Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.

When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning.

"Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!"

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.

I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God.

Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!"

My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden."

She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body."

All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.

Grace

 

Some sharings this Sunday morning on one of my favorite subjects...

Grace...

"This day boldness is manifested in a simple grace: gratitude." ~ Mary Anne Radmacher
...
"Grace defies reason and logic." ~ Bono

"Grace isn't just a little prayer you say before receiving a meal. It's a way to live." ~ Jackie Windspear

"I'm becoming more and more myself with time. I guess that's what grace is.
The refinement of your soul through time." ~ Jewel

"Any artist should be grateful for a naive grace which puts him beyond the need to reason elaborately." ~ Saul Bellow

"As in nature, as in art, so in grace; it is rough treatment that gives souls, as well as stones, their luster." ~ Thomas Guthrie

"Beauty without grace is the hook without the bait." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Each day offers us the gift of being a special occasion if we can simply learn that as well as giving, it is blessed to receive with grace and a grateful heart...Grace is available for each of us every day - our spiritual daily bread - but we've got to remember to ask for it with a grateful heart and not worry about whether there will be enough for tomorrow." ~ Sarah Ban Breathnach

"Grace is but glory begun, and glory is but grace perfected." ~ Jonathan Edwards

"Grace is everywhere as an active orientation of all created reality toward God." ~
Karl Rahner

"Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity." ~ William Hazlitt

"I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us." ~ Anne Lamott

"To experience the miracles of everyday grace is not just a privilege for the enlightened few. It's your birthright!" ~ Marianne Williamson

And For me,

Grace is the supreme Power of all Powers and Highest Law of the Universe, which transcends all others...

Founded upon Love,
We reach the state of Grace when we realize that we are all Perfect Creations of the Divine and no harm can befall us or come from us...
We reach the state of Grace...
When we open ourselves up to the unlimited possibilities of a Benevolent Universe...
We reach the state of Grace...
Simply because we are Loved by the Mighty Heart of the Great Divine Creator

There are no lessons that need to be played out...
No dues or debts to be payed...
No Karma to be experienced...
No place of Supreme Enlightenment to be reached...
No conditions of worthiness to be met...

All other Laws are suspended and mute in its Presence...

Once you have accepted the state of Grace as your birthright from a Perfect Creator...
You BECOME the Perfect Expression of Love, Joy, Beauty, Peace, Wholeness, Abundance and Compassion...
And there is little need of anything else.

After my harrowing and yes, most blessed physical ordeal last week...
I am in such a state of Divine Gratitude for the gift of the Perfect Grace of God...
And so Blessed to be fully embracing this beautiful Sunday...
This beautiful Life...
Upon my Beloved Mother Gaia...
And sharing these thoughts with you...

I invite you to please add your own comments and musings on what Grace is for you...

Many Blessings my Friends...
And May the Face of Grace shine down upon you in Miraculous ways, this precious day!

"Life for me...Aint been no Crystal Stair"

"Life for Me...Ain't been no Crystal Stair" Someone, who has been "a friend", stated recently, That things come easily and just fall into place for me... And added that others have to work long and hard for what they get... Interesting comment, since based on the fact that I am almost 59 years old... And I have... Lost my Beloved Brother, Best Friend and Soul Mate to sucide... Buried both my parents... Married and divorced twice... Married to a drug addict and an alcoholic Raised 3 children on my own, with no financial support from anyone... Worked a boring job, (sometimes two)... Struggling from pay check to pay check, to give my children the best life possible, And at the same time going for my third degree nights, And graduating with distinction... And then as an added bonus survived both ex husbands, As they went to early graves... And that since my self imposed early retirement, Embarked on to follow my dreams... That it has been one struggle, And one dark night of the soul after another, Sometimes with not enough money for food, rent or basic necessities And much self doubt and pain... And on the subject of men... Well, all I can say folks, Is that I have kissed a LOT of frogs, Before I met my Prince! (Be blessed, that I will spare you all the gory details on this subject) But even, throughout all of it, I did not give up my dream, Nor did I ever give up on Love... And always, chose to focus on the joy,miracles and gifts, That have been blessedly bestowed upon me... This little piece is in part a way for me to vent my surprise, Unbelievable hurt, sadness, And yes anger that such an assumption could be made, And by one who knows all to well, what my struggle has been... But I share this, as a lesson for us all... To be aware when we are in a place of self wallowing pity and resentment, That we remember we are all walking this same path together, That it is never always easy for anyone, No matter what the outward appearances may be... That we all "pay our dues"... And this is the good news... Because this is how we get to the place we are reaching for... It's how we grow... It's what makes us appreciate all that this life has to give... The good and the bad... There is no easy way, for anyone... But Oh, when we finally get there... Doesn't it taste all that much sweeter... And here is another little Universal fact... It never ends... It is ongoing... Always moving forward... More challenges to face... More mountains to climb... More Joy to Behold... There is an old Native American saying... "Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his moccasins." I came across a poem this morning, By one of my favorite writers since I was a child, Langston Hughes The piece is called "Mother to Son".... And it spoke volumes to me on this subject... I share it with you all here... To be always mindful... That We are All One... We are all in this together... That we all have our share of challenges and triumphs... As Langston states in his poem... "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair..." And that when we are tempted to compare our lives with that of another... It separates us from our Source and each other... It blocks the flow... And most importantly... It robs us of the Joy and Gratitude to be found in the Present Moment... And that we should celebrate it All! Mother To Son Langston Hughes "Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair." As you walk through your day... Especially if it is a particularly difficult one... Be mindful of the tendency we all have to judge and compare... And remember... Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain. But all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it. Perhaps, Osho said it best... "If you are alive there is inconvenience. If you are alive there are challenges... Reality has no security and that is its beauty. Life has no security and that is its beauty. Because there is no security, there is adventure... If you miss adventure, you miss all. If your life is not that of an adventurer, of a search into the unknown, then you are living in vain."

I've Grown Accustomed to His Heart! (LLJL)

To my Surprise and Delight
I find that I will be missing my Sweet Angel Man
as he heads back to the City for work...
Friday can't come soon enough...
Oh and Thank You Spirit...
For sending me the Greatest & Highest
Expression and Embodiment of True Love,
Anyone could Hope for..

Truly, Spirit Always Knows Best! :)

I guess Lerner and Loewe said it best for me...
(With a little variation and additional last verse, on my part, of course:)

"Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!
I've grown accustomed to his face.
He almost makes the day begin.
I've grown accustomed to the tune
That he whistles night and noon.
His smiles, his frowns,
His ups, his downs
Are second nature to me now,
Like breathing out and breathing in.

I was serenly independent
And content before we met.
Surely I could always be that way again - and yet,
I've grown accustomed to his look,
Accustomed to his voice,
Accustomed to his face.

I'm so used to hear him say,
"Good morning" ev'ry day.
His joys, his woes,
His highs, his lows,
Are second nature to me now,
Like breathing out and breathing in.

I'm very grateful he's a man,
And so easy to forget, rather like a habit
One can always break - and yet,
I've grown accustomed to the trace,
Of something in the air,
Accustomed to his face.

It's so disconcerting to me now
At my sadness when we part
Still I am so grateful for his presence in my life
I've grown accustomed to the Love
He shares so willingly,
Accustomed to his Heart!

Keeping the Watch, Like a Hawk (LLJL)

Keeping the Watch...Like a Hawk

 

The following is a quote from the end of the movie Protocol...
A sentiment that I have chosen to share, this Holiday weekend...
Lest we forget, that the "Good Fight for Freedom" did not end 235 years ago...
That, in Truth, it is even more relevant and important today,
That we remain ever vigilant and aware...
...And that we continue to raise our Voices to that which we would claim as our most sacred heritage...

The real Truth is, that the precious freedoms our founding fathers fought so hard to procure for themselves and future generations have slowly and methodically been removed from our society...
Let us, then, vow to keep the perpetual watch,
Llike our Spirit Brother, the Hawk...
Lest thier work be in vane...
The cost of our apathy, complacency, and refusal to see, will be our most precious commodity...
Our Most basic Right as Physical and Spiritual Beings...
Freedom...Freedom for All!

I don't know about you...
But this weekend and every day forth, I will be making my own fireworks...
Until this land, our people, this world, our Beloved Mother Gaia...
Is every glorious thing they have been intended to be!!!!

"You want to know something? Before I worked for the government, I'd never read the Constitution. I didn't even begin to know how things worked. I didn't read the newspaper, except to look up my horoscope. And I never read the Declaration of Independence. But I knew they had, the ones were talking about, the experts, they read it. They just forgot what it was about. That its about We, the People. And that's ME. I'm We, the People. And you're We, the People. And we're all We, the People, all of us.

"So when they sell me that ten cent diamond ring or down the river or to some guy who wears a lot of medals, then that means they're selling ALL of us, all of we the people. And when YOU guys spend another pile of money and when you give away or sell all those guns and tanks, and every time you invite another foreign big shot to the White House and hug and kiss him and give him presents, it has a direct effect on We the People's lives.

"So if we don't, I mean if I don't know what you're up to, and if I don't holler and scream when I think you're doing it wrong, and if I just mind my own business and don't vote or care, then I just get what I deserve. So now that I'm a private citizen again, you're going to have to watch out for me. 'Cause I'm going to be watching all of you. Like a hawk."

~ Excerpt from the Movie "Protocol"

It Just Doesn't Matter (or "The Tao of Meatballs") (LLJL)

IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER

In the book, “Friendship with God” Neale Donald Walsch, author of the “Conversations with God” series writes:

(Q) So, you are saying, everything is perfect, just the way it is. Even if things don’t look perfect.

(G) Especially if they don’t look perfect. That’s a sure sign that there’s something huge for you to remember here.

(Q) So, You’re saying we should be grateful for the worst things that happen to us?

(G) Gratitude is the fastest form of healing. What you resist, persists. What you are grateful for can then serve you, as it was meant to do.

I have told you: I have sent you nothing but angels

Now I will add: I have given you nothing but miracles.

(Q) What are miracles? Crimes are miracles? Diseases and illnesses are miracles?

(G) Every event of life is a miracle, as is life itself.

Life is designed to provide your soul with the perfect tools, the perfect circumstances, the perfect conditions with which to realize and experience, announce and declare, fulfill and become Who You Really Are.

Therefore, judge not, and neither condemn.

Love one another, pray for those who would oppose you, and embrace every moment and circumstance of life as a treasure; a perfect gift from a perfect Creator.

I say to you, seek results and outcomes, but do not require them.

For if you require a certain result in order to be happy, you have an Addiction.

If you simply desire a certain result you have a Preference…

And if you have no Preference whatsoever, you have Acceptance.

You have achieved Mastery.”

 

Now initially upon reading those words, I began to think about the idea of living with no expectations…and I quickly, realized that it is pretty difficult to get through a day without focusing on desired outcomes.

So I decided to try and consciously practice acceptance instead of my usual addiction mode, and something interesting started to happen…

I found that in releasing my attachment to the outcome, I had become more effective at the task on hand and more present in the now…my motivation had been become focused internally instead of externally and a sense of peace and well being had set in….

And then, it seemed, almost magically, I had this profound awareness that was overwhelmingly freeing….

That if everything in my life just disappeared in the next minute or the next day…

It just wouldn’t matter!

 

Sports legend, Fran Tarkinton, who was quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings football team for many years, and is considered one of the greatest to ever play the game, never won a Super Bowl. I remember watching an interview he gave just after announcing his retirement….and he was asked the obvious question…

“Do you regret ending your career without ever winning the “Big One.?”

His response was surprising. He recalled that the most valuable lesson he gained in his life, was a direct result of what many would call…this so called “failure”.

He said, he realized that at one point it had become all about the win, the trophy, the ring, the recognition…and, as a result, they had lost their focus and forgot to concentrate on playing the game.

He said, “I had forgotten the first rule of success…Winning means being unafraid to lose…that’s when I began to remember who I really was…and that it just didn’t matter…and I started to play for the joy of the game, once again…” 

 

You have all heard the saying that you can’t get where you are going if you don’t know where you are headed – and goals are supposed to be the map that show you the way.

Well, this is a concept that I have always found hard to swallow.

Every time I hear this suggestion placed before me, my resistance rises to fever pitch, and I hear myself saying, “OH, I don’t think so!”…

 

And let me tell you why.

 

The few months following my self imposed Early Retirement from corporate America, I was facing, what I believed to be a major meltdown over what the next course of action should be in my life.

I was beginning to feel challenged financially, or at least that was my perception of the situation, and unsure as how to proceed to remedy this.

Even though, I knew, at my core, that there are no challenges in the mind of God…

it didn’t stop those shadows emerging from their most deepest, darkest internal residences.

I was clearly facing probably the most major change of my life, to date, as I embarked upon a new journey…

After deliberately leaving what had been my sole form of livelihood, in the corporate world for overs 30 years,to consciously live my life on purpose and in service.

I had adamantly declared as I left my old life behind…

“There will be no more “have to’s” in my life, anymore!”

Well, it only took a few months, and my mind when faced with its first bout of uncertainty,

went right back into the “have to” tapes.

I have to get some money, I have to figure this out, I have to get a part time job…

Why did I ever think I could do this, I have no clue what I am doing….blah, blah, blah…on and on ad nauseum.

 

So, as any good little metaphysician/quantum physicist would do…

I took the next step…Feeling the need to “get in control of this situation”,

I threw myself into high gear, in an all out effort to invoke the Spiritual forces that be, who hold reign over these aspects of our existence.

I wrote and spoke literally pages and pages of affirmations daily, mapping out to the Universe, exactly what I wanted to happen.

I called Prayer lines, did my mirror work, sat knee deep in magazine clippings for vision boards and placed them in strategic places throughout my home,

but the fears and doubts instead of subsiding, just grew ever more present and stronger than ever. And with every affirmation I spoke…another old fear was unmasked.

 

See, I had this picture of Spirit dangling a carrot at the end of a what seemed like a long rope, saying, “Yes, I agree, you should have all this…you just have to get up to speed and think and feel and be and do all the right things before you can have it.”

No wonder I was depressed…and rapidly approaching a major melt down phase.

 

At one point during this ordeal, I had taken a much needed respite to gain some clarity over this situation, and visited a friend who lives in a Spiritual Community, at Lily Dale, NY, on beautiful Cassadaga Lake.

At first, I became so totally immersed in the joy, peace, and beauty that surrounded me everyday, I almost forgot the mental turmoil of the previous weeks…

But, then, during a stimulating night of metaphysical exchanges with some of my friends there, it all came flooding back.

And our lively and lofty discussion turned into a weeping therapy session…

Now I am sitting in a room spilling my guts of all my fears and insecurities to a group of old and new friends assembled there,

When my host, stood up and walked over to this massive wall of books and without missing a beat he pulled out a small, 70 page volume and lovingly but firmly tossed it into my lap…

And that was it…end of discussion. Message received…Over and Out!…Thank You, Very Much! 

 

Because, I immediately recognized this little metaphysical gem, as it has sat in my own library for over 30 years. The book, was the classic, “Prospering Power of Prayer” by Catherine Ponder.

 

As I began to re-read it, later that night…I had a moment…one of those AHA moments that shakes you to your very core.

As I read her beautiful affirmations, I realized the difference between her’s and mine was that in every single one of her affirmations, there was one word that was missing from mine.

I had been leaving out the most important ingredient…”Spirit”

One affirmation, in particular struck a major core, as I remembered that many year’s ago I had used it to start my time of meditation,

“With Praise and Thanksgiving I set the riches of Spirit before me this day to guide, govern, prosper and protect me. All things needful are now provided. My rich good becomes visible this day! And then, “The Spirit of the Lord goes before me making easy and successful my way!”

 

I realized, at that moment, that “I”… the little “i”… was trying to take care of all those details and that “i” was working too hard at making something happen.

 

That night Spirit spoke to me, not unlike I imagine, the experience of Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love” ,when her break through came as a result of her nightly lamentations on the bathroom floor.

Through he tears swollen, tear laden eyes, and chocking sobs, she somehow heard the words that were about to change her life,

“Give it all to me, I will keep the watch, I will take care of everything. No matter what appears to be happening, you are not in this alone!”

 

It was precisely that same instant of awareness, for me…it was my “bathroom floor” awakening.

In a blinding flash, it had all become so clear, so simple…

All that was required of me, was to relax, show up, and just love in every perfect Now moment. Hello? Oh My God…Spirit had my back!  What a concept!  Spirit was in charge! 

And in that nano-second all my fears and doubts and pain just washed away,

And were replaced in the days and weeks to come with miracle, upon miracle, upon miracle.

 

You see, I have always found goals and the need to be in control, to be restrictive.

This is why this process just never works for me, especially when I am experiencing “desperate times”.

You see I believe, they set an end to what you can achieve.

They thwart freedom.

They, actually,  keep you separate from your Source.

Goals, sometimes can be the brakes that stop you from accomplishing all that you were meant to accomplish because goals are in and of themselves…the end.

 

Now, I am not advocating being irresponsible, please do not hear that…

but what I am saying is that we should, also, and first and foremost,

Make enjoying every moment along the journey of your life the number 1 priority.

Find work that you like to do and that you find satisfying today, not just work that will reward you in the future.

Love your kids for what they are today, not just for what they may become years from today. Celebrate personal relationships today, not just at special occasions.

 

And I am most assuredly not saying, there is anything wrong with having a goal…

as long as you don t fall in love with it.

And as long as you understand that every step on the way to the achievement of the goal is just as important as every other step including the one where you reach it.

You must understand that every moment in life is a miracle…

We must stop  looking for miracles in the future…

As my shero, Louise Hay, always says, “The Point of Power is Always in the Present Moment”.

 

Sarah Ban Breathnach, writes in her book, “Simple Abundance”, ” The passionate pursuit of dreams sets your soul soaring, expectations that measure the dreams success tie stones around your soul. I don’t think we should just lower our expectations,” she says, “I believe if we truly want to live a joyous and adventurous life, we must relinquish them. Living your life as a dreamer and not as an “expector” is a personal declaration of independence. You’re able to pursue happiness more directly when you don’t get caught up in the delivery details. Dreaming not expecting allows Spirit to step in and surprise you with connection, completion, consumation and celebration. You dream. You show up. Then let Spirit deliver your dream to the world.”

 

There is a movie that Bill Murray starred in very early on in his career, that has always been an all time favorite in our home. The film is titled “Meatballs.”  Meatballs is a movie about a group of sloppy, unorganized, practical jokers who run a summer camp called Northstar..their arch rivals across the road at Camp Mohawk are the rich kids who bring their golf clubs and masseuses and servants to camp with them. At the end of the movie is an annual three day Olympiad between the two competing camps. The scene is set at a camp meeting, after the second day of losing consistently and predictably in just about everything to their nemeses at Camp Mohawk. The dejected campers from Northstar are sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, mumbling and grumbling and fighting amongst each other.

When one of them says, “Lets face it, the Mohawks have beaten us for the past twelve years in a row, and they are going to beat us again”

 

Upon hearing this Bill Murray, the camp’s quirky and obscene head counselor, stands up and launches into a speech that shocks everyone.. 

 

“That’s just the attitude we don’t need, he admonishes, “Sure Mohawk has beaten us 12 years in a row. Sure their terrific athletes…They got the best equipment money can buy, but it doesn’t matter, it just doesn’t matter…it just doesn’t matter…I tell you it just doesn’t matter…And  even if we win, HA!…even if we play so far over our heads that our noses bleed for a week to ten days…and even if God in heaven above comes down and points his hand on our side of the field, even if every man, woman and child held hands together and prayed for us to win…it just wouldn’t matter because all the really good looking girls will still go out with guys from Mohawk cause they got all the money…It just doesn’t matter if we win or we lose…its just doesn’t matter…it just doesn’t matter.” 

 

Is at this point that stunned, motley crew of Northstar, have a moment of collective epiphany, and join Murray in taking up the chant…”It Just Doesn’t Matter!”

 

And what happened?, well, in true Hollywood fashion, they pulled themselves together….gave it their all, relaxed and had fun….and in the final moments…they did manage to succeed in procuring the coveted win over Mohawk…

 

We can only grow as a human beings if we are concentrating on our own abilities.

You see, if you are looking over your shoulder at somebody else or you are basing how you are doing on the outcome that’s called competition.

And enlightened people don’t look at other people or outcomes to determine where and who they are.

Thoreau wrote, “When one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams…and endeavors  to lead the life which he has imagined…He will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”

It was this mantra that had led me to this pivotal point on the next lap of my journey…and there was turning back.

 

You see, I realized, that in order to become enlightened you must forget about you…

And all of the things you are going to do, and accomplish and get out of your life…

You simply advance confidently and do what is in you to do…

Making everyday a miracle…and success will chase after you and arrive in your life in amounts greater than you ever anticipated in any present moment.

 

For a very long time, for me, it seemed like I was always waiting for life  to begin–real life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.

And at last it dawned on me, that these “obstacles” were my life.

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness…

That in Truth, Happiness IS the way.

 

One of my favorite stories is a parable about two cats…One day an older cat was out on his daily rounds in the alleys, and came upon a much younger cat who was running around in circles trying to catch his tail…he would chase and chase and chase, and the older cat after watching this for some time finally stopped the other cat and asked him what he was doing. The younger cat, replied, “Well, you see, I have just graduated from cat philosophy school, and in cat philosophy school they taught us that happiness is in our  tail, so I am trying to get catch my tail so I can have happiness. Upon hearing this  the older cat pondered for awhile and finally said…”You know, I am just an old alley cat, and I have not had the opportunity to attend cat philosophy school, but throughout my long, life I have found, that yes, happiness, is indeed in my tail…But, my ambitious young friend…I have found, that if I go about my life, and do the things that are important to me…happiness will follow me wherever I go.”

 

My passion, as many of you know, is writing, and several years ago, through a series of serendipitous events, I found myself placed right in the middle of this path…which up to that point had been a dream, a fantasy if you will.

But then, I found one day, that it appeared, my dreams had finally caught up with my reality. Because of this, I have come to understand that desire which had taken up residence in my heart so many years ago, was actually, placed there by God, so it could not fail to materialize, in spite of myself or my own procrastination, self doubt and negativity.

 

You see, I came to understand, that the word desire broken down literally means “Of God” or sired by God.

So, in actuality, there really isn’t anything we need to do…

Because after awhile our thoughts, dreams and focus take on a life of their own…

And that all we need to do is put our foot on the path…take that leap of faith…and Spirit will provide the rest.

 

You may recall, In the movie,”Indiana Jones and the quest for the Holy Grail.” Indy’s father has been mortally wounded and needs the healing waters from the grail, which is on the other side of a huge precipice. Indiana Jones has to get to the other side to save his father, and is hesitating as to what his next move must be…his father says to him…”STEP OUT…STEP OUT IN FAITH, SON!”…Indy reluctantly puts his foot out over the edge of the cliff that he is standing on….at that instant ,out of seeming nowhere, miraculously appears out of the mist..

 

You see ALL that is required of us is to take that step out in faith…

Goethe said, “Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid!” 

 

One of the miracles that happened to me was that I began to enjoy the process…

Now up to this point the only thing I dreaded more that “goal setting” was having to go through the process.

I liked the end result and I certainly did not want to be bothered with details…

I looked at all the “stuff” that was involved in between as a nuisance…

I just wanted to enjoy the flowers…I didn’t particularly enjoy digging in the dirt to plant and tend to them.

 

And now, as I started on my journey to “become” a writer…a funny thing happened…

I found that I already was, in fact…a writer…

And I also found that for the first time in my life I was enjoying the entire process…All of it…

The development of the piece, the inspiration, the research, the writing and rewriting…

Because, I found, in writing, the end result and the process are the same…

Your process is your result…it is all happening simultaneously.

 

And I found out something else, even more astonishing and pleasantly surprising…

That while I was involved in the act of creating, everything else in my life was enhanced.

Thoughts held greater clarity, my focus was single-minded, my capacity for patience was increased…

Even my coffee tasted better!

Somehow the bills miraculously got paid, my family was respectful….

My life was working at ever increasing amounts of acceleration and perfection…

And all, seemingly, at warped speed!

 

Several years ago, I was watching a show on C-Span that interviews writers and it just so happened that they were talking to one of my literary heroes, Steven King.

One of the questions they asked him is what advise could he give to other writers and he said two things I would never forget.

First, he shared, “Writing is nothing but telepathy…that the ideas come from everything you see, touch, feel, and experience…and it is up to you to become aware of it, breath it, smell it and assimilate it into every part of your being.”

And then he said, probably the most important thing I would ever hear as a writer…

“Don t write for the money, or the Pulitzer or for publication or the recognition….

Write for the wastebasket!”…

 

At the end of this interview he made a momentous announcement to his fans and the entire literary world, that when he finished the current trilogy he was working on, he would not be writing any more books for publication.

He said he had reached a point in his life that he felt he had accomplished enough…
Had made enough money…Had had enough fame.

And now he was going to afford himself the luxury of writing for the wastebasket….

For the pure joy of writing itself…

 

Another of my mentors of the creative process is author/lecturer Julia Cameron.

In her book, “your Right to Write” she penned these words,

That I believe are not just referring to the craft of writing…

But to the process of creation and  life itself.

 

“We should write because it is human nature to write.

Writing claims our world. It makes it directly and specifically our own.

We should write because humans are spiritual beings,

And writing is a powerful form of prayer and meditation,

Connecting us both to our own insights and to a higher level of inner guidance.

We should write because writing brings clarity and passion to the act of living.

Writing is sensual, experiential, grounding.

We should write because writing is good for the soul.

We should write because writing yields us a body of work,

A felt path through the world we live in.

We should write above all, because we are ALL writers.

Whether we call ourselves that or not.”

 

And so my friends, I would say to you…

 

Write because your Words are the highest expression of Your Soul.

Sing because you are the Song.

Paint because Color brings Beauty and Purpose to Our Lives.

Dance because it is your Gift to the World.

Create because it is your connection to Divinity.

Serve because it is Why you are Here.

And Love because it is Who you Are.

 

And above all…excel then, only to experience the perfection of your own greatness…

And in so doing you will begin to live fully and joyously in each perfect, present moment…

You will begin to realize that anything else…

“Just doesn’t matter!”

 

In closing I would like to quote Erich Fromm…

” Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be. Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar, and you’ll live as you’ve never lived before”

 

Remember…
I have given you nothing but angels…

I have given you only miracles…

Embrace the journey…and require only your own excellence.

Become and Express Who You Really Are..

 

There is a classic line from the movie “Bruce Almighty”, where God, played by Morgan Freeman, sums it all up, beautifully…

 

“Parting a bowl of soup is not a miracle, Bruce. It’s a magic trick. A single mom who’s working two jobs, and still finds time to take her son to soccer practice, that’s a miracle. A teenager who says no to drugs and yes to an education, that’s a miracle. People want me to do everything for them. What they don’t realize is *they* have the power. You want to see a miracle, son?  Be the miracle.”

 

And so I will leave you with this final charge…indeed it is all we really need to understand…

 

My Friends…BE THE MIRACLE!

What is Love...Really? (LLJL)

What is Love, Really?
 

The other day, in my morning reading I came across something that really blew me away, it was this little gem by Robert H. Ingersoll, 

“Love is the only bow on life's dark cloud.
It is the Morning and the Evening Star.
It shines upon the cradle of the babe,
and sheds its radiance upon the quiet tomb.
It is the mother of Art,
inspirer of poet, patriot, and philosopher.
It is the air and light of every heart, builder of every home,
kindler of every fire on every hearth.

It was the first to dream of immortality.
It fills the world with melody,
for Music is the voice of Love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter,
that changes worthless things to joy,
and makes right royal kings and queens of common clay.

It is the perfume of the wondrous flower -- the heart
and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon,
we are less than beasts;
but with it, earth is heaven
and we are gods.”

 "What is Love?"  We use it so often, we talk about it in reference to food, books, movies, shoes, clothes, our pets, and yes, sometimes, even people. 

And sometimes, I think, we use it so much, we forget what the true essence of this word is...and we forget to really become the experience of Love.

I wonder, does anyone remember the little comic in the daily paper, (and I am really dating myself here folks) called, Love Is...

I remember I used to clip them out quite often and put them in the picture windows in my wallet...it was sort of a "trendy" ritual that my friends and I used to practice.

Well, the other day, I came across this article, that reminded of those cute, funny and oftentimes very profound little bits of wisdom.  The article was about a group of professional people who posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." Rebecca - age 8

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth." Billy - age 4

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." Karl - age 5

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." Chrissy - age 6

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." Terri - age 4

Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." Danny - age 7

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" Emily - age 8

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen," Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate," Nikka - age 6

"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them." Jenny - age 8

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." Noelle - age 7

"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." Tommy - age 6

"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore," Cindy - age 8

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." Clare - age 6
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken." Elaine -age 5

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." Chris - age 7

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." Lauren - age 4

"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." Karen - age 7

"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget," Jessica - age 8

And at the end of this article was this final story...
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.
The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry."

There is so much to learn about Love...through the eyes and the heart of a child.

The one who is known as, the "Maharaji" when asked what love was, replied...
“If you want to be in love, begin by loving each breath.
Begin by falling in love with understanding, with clarity, with the truest sincerity.
These are the angels in your life.
When all is dark, they come—all lit, graceful, beautiful with clarity.

One second of clarity and all the darkness vaporizes.
Don't try to remove the darkness—it won't work.
All you have to do is usher in the light.
Fall in love with living.
Fall in love with that which is within you.”

You see, we are always looking for that elusive thing or person that will bring that feeling of love to us...we view it as this elusive something, outside of ourselves...something we have catch like the "Love Bug" or plead for, or suffer for, or make amends to, or even steal.

Sometimes, we feel we have to earn love...that we have to become worthy, or perfect, "whatever that means" in order to experience love.

But I have come to understand, that it is always right we are...in every place we go...in every person we meet...in every experience...in every situation...no matter what the appearance may be...it is all Love.  You see, Love has no conditions, it doesn't matter what our state of mind is, what we are going through, if we are short, tall, fat, thin...Love doesn't care.  All we have to do is breathe, open our hearts...and Be.
Children get this, they know that Love has no expectations...that it is everywhere present...and is a part of everyone and everything... 

We were all born as the result of a simple act of love...the act of creation...which is everywhere present can only come into form through the power of Love...and we are all endowed with this sacred gift...this power.. as participatory creators in a participatory Universe, fueled by the energy of love.

What will you create today?

Will you create Chaos...or Peace?
Confusion...or Clarity?
Pain...or Healing?
Resentment...or Forgiveness?
Sorrow...or Joy?
Tears...or Laughter?
Separation...or Love?

Marianne Williamson, writes, in "A Return to Love", that "when we were born, we were programmed perfectly.  We had a natural tendency to focus on love.  Our imaginations were creative and flourishing, and we knew how to use them.  We were connected to a world much richer than the one we connect to now, a world full of enchantment and a sense of the miraculous."

So what happened? Why is it that we reached a certain age, looked around, and the enchantment was gone?  Because we were taught to focus elsewhere.  We were taught to think "unnaturally" We were taught an "error" philosophy, a way of looking at the world that directly contradicts with who we really are.
We were taught to think thoughts like competition, struggle, sickness, finite resources, limitation, guilt, bad, death, scarcity, and loss.  We began to think these things, and so we began to know them.  We were taught that things like grades, being good enough, money and doing things within the system, or the right way, are more important than love. 

We were taught that we're separate from other people, that we have to compete to get ahead, that we're not quite good enough the way we are...that we aren't enough.
Love is what we were born with.  Fear, separation and doubt is what we learned here.  The spiritual journey is the relinquishment, or unlearning, of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts.  Love is the essential existential fact.

It is our ultimate reality and our purpose on earth.  To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.

Meaning doesn't lie in things.  Meaning lies in us. 

Love is within us.  It cannot be destroyed, but can only be hidden.

We came here to co-create with God by extending love. And this can only happen when we release the grip of fear.

 Marianne writes, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

This my friends, is the true essence of Love.

As Zora Neale Hurston writes,
"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."

Paying Attention to Red Flags ~ Daily Om

Warning Signs

Paying Attention to Red Flags

 

Red flags often come in the form of feelings urging us to pause for a moment, listen to our intuition, and reconsider.

Just as the universe wants to provide for our needs, it also seeks to protect us from dangerous situations, destructive relationships, and even minor inconveniences. Frequently in our lives, perhaps everyday, we encounter psychic red flags warning us of potential problems or accidents. We may not always recognize the signs. However, more often than not, we may choose to ignore our intuition when it tells us that “something just isn’t right.”

Red flags often come in the form of feelings urging us to pause for a moment, listen to our intuition, and reconsider. We may even experience a “bad” feeling in our bellies. This is a red flag letting us know that there may be a problem. We may not even know what the red flag is about. All we know is that the universe is trying to wave us in a different direction. We just have to pay attention and go another way. We may even wonder whether we are paranoid or imagining things. However, when we look back at a situation or relationship where there were red flags, it becomes easy to understand exactly what those warning signs meant. More often than not, a red flag is not a false warning. Rather, it is the universe’s way of informing us, through our own innate guidance system, that our path best lies elsewhere.

We may try to ignore the red flags waving our way, dismissing our unease as illogical. Yet it is always in our best interest to pay attention to them. For example, we may meet someone who outwardly seems perfect. They are intelligent, attractive, and charming. Yet, for some reason, being around them makes us feel uneasy. Any interactions we have with them are awkward and leave us feeling like there is something “off” about the situation. This is not necessarily a bad person. But, for some reason, the universe is directing us away from them. Red flags are intended with our best interests at heart. No harm can ever come from stopping long enough to heed a red flag. Pay attention to any red flags that pop up. The universe is always looking out for you.

~ Daily Om

Laughter from "Pathways to the Soul by Carlos Warter, MD, PHD

Laughter from "Pathways to the Soul by Carlos Warter, MD, PHD

Laughter

Laughter is the sound of the soul at play.
Life without laughter leaves out something vital.
Philosophers, healers and sages know the power of opening ourselves to the Universe with a good "Belly Laugh".
Goethe wrote, "The man of understanding finds everything laughable; the man of reason, almost nothing.
Schiller said, "Man is only human when he is at play," and Schopenhauer muses..."a sense of humor, is the only Divine quality in man."

When we laugh we are in the present moment, and also everywhere else.
With laughter our inner light assumes an infinite and timeless expansion.
Laughter frees us of the burdens of our story lines, our judge, and any sense of resistance we might feel to the present moment.
When we share our laughter, we free others of similar burdens.
Laughter is the great equalizer.
It joins us with God.

An Apache myth has it that the Creator made human beings able to do everything---talk, run, look and hear. But he was not satisfied until man could do just one thing more---laugh.
And so man laughed and laughed and laughed.
Then the Creator said, "Now you are fit to live!"

Laughter brings levity to every experience.
Like yeast in dough, it makes us rise!
Unnecessary defenses float away; our story lines leave us; we no longer stand at the center of our Universe.
Laughter opens us to the giant, joyous space at the depths of our being and fills it with Divine Energy.

Such are the blessings of Laughter!

-Carlos Warter

I am a Point of Light by Disciples Mantram

I am a Point of Light

I Am a Point of Light
I am a point of light within a greater Light.
I am a strand of loving energy within the stream of Love divine.
I am a point of sacrificial fire focused within the fiery Will of God.
And thus I stand.

I am a way by which men may achieve.
I am a source of strength, enabling them to stand.
I am a beam of light, shining upon their way.
And thus I stand.

And standing thus, revolve.
And tread this way the ways of men,
And know the ways of God.
And thus I stand.

- Disciples Mantram

I Want to be in Awe! ~ Jon Odell

I Want to be in Awe!

 "Stop asking me to be practical, to be reasonable, to look at logic, to do the responsible thing.

You are now forewarned:
if you are to be a friend of mine you will do nothing to ensure that my feet are on the ground.
If you need me, don't look for me in the company of levelheaded people.
They bore me.
They weigh me down with statistics and stories of dream-flyers who melted their wings and fell into the sea.
So what if I get a little wet?
Never to be surprised is to stop God in his tracks.
I don't want to understand anything anymore.
I want to be in Awe!"
-Jon Odell

An Amazing Peace by Maya Angelou

An Amazing Peace by the "Beloved Angel" Maya Angelou

An Amazing Peace - Maya Angelou

Thunder rumbles in the mountain passes
And lightning rattles the eaves of our houses.
Flood waters await us in our avenues.

Snow falls upon snow, falls upon snow to avalanche
Over unprotected villages.
The sky slips low and grey and threatening.

We question ourselves.
What have we done to so affront nature?
We worry God.
Are you there? Are you there really?
Does the covenant you made with us still hold?

Into this climate of fear and apprehension, Christmas enters,
Streaming lights of joy, ringing bells of hope
And singing carols of forgiveness high up in the bright air.
The world is encouraged to come away from rancor,
Come the way of friendship.

It is the Glad Season.
Thunder ebbs to silence and lightning sleeps quietly in the corner.
Flood waters recede into memory.
Snow becomes a yielding cushion to aid us
As we make our way to higher ground.

Hope is born again in the faces of children
It rides on the shoulders of our aged as they walk into their sunsets.
Hope spreads around the earth. Brightening all things,
Even hate which crouches breeding in dark corridors.

In our joy, we think we hear a whisper.
At first it is too soft. Then only half heard.
We listen carefully as it gathers strength.
We hear a sweetness.
The word is Peace.
It is loud now. It is louder.
Louder than the explosion of bombs.

We tremble at the sound. We are thrilled by its presence.
It is what we have hungered for.
Not just the absence of war. But, true Peace.
A harmony of spirit, a comfort of courtesies.
Security for our beloveds and their beloveds.

We clap hands and welcome the Peace of Christmas.
We beckon this good season to wait a while with us.
We, Baptist and Buddhist, Methodist and Muslim, say come.
Peace.

Come and fill us and our world with your majesty.
We, the Jew and the Jainist, the Catholic and the Confucian,
implore you to stay awhile with us
so we may learn by your shimmering light
how to look beyond complexion and see community.

It is Christmas time, a halting of hate time.
On this platform of peace, we can create a language
to translate ourselves to ourselves and to each other.
At this Holy Instant, we celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ

Into the great religions of the world.
We jubilate the precious advent of trust.
We shout with glorious tongues the coming of hope.
All the earth’s tribes loosen their voices to celebrate the promise of
Peace.

We, Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers,
Look heavenward and speak the word aloud.
Peace.

We look at our world and speak the word aloud.
Peace.

We look at each other, then into ourselves,
And we say without shyness or apology or hesitation:

Peace, My Brother.
Peace, My Sister.
Peace, My Soul

2008 - The Great Leap that would not be denied ~ (LLJL)

2008 - The Great Leap that would not be denied.

by Linda Living Joy Lorenzo on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 at 8:48pm

 

2008 - The Great Leap - Linda Lorenzo

Looking back on this past year, has been an emotional and moving experience.

It was a year of many changes and transitions...most self imposed, but not without some sense of trepidation and at times moments of stark terror in moving into uncomfortable and unfamiliar territory.

This was the year of significant endings and life altering beginnings.

Making the transition from the security of for over 30 years, relying on a corporate paycheck for my livelihood, to the unknown world of self employment.
&
The releasing of & moving on from several significant relationships that no longer served my rapidly shifting values, beliefs and lifestyle.

I was entering strange new & untrod ground...a move that would have terrified me just a couple years ago.

It was a leap of faith...with not much of a net, to speak of...with no idea what was ahead or what I was doing...heading out into the unknown, on my own, armed only with the feeling in my gut that it could not be any other way.

Moving forward based only on the intense passion that comes with the knowing, that you can no longer live a life that is not in complete alignment with your true purpose and mission, a life of pure authenticity...it had me and it had taken on a life of its own...

It was the leap that could not, and would not, be denied.

Through it all, yes, my faith was tested, challenged, bombarded and attacked. And in spite of it all, or maybe I should say, because of it all...I have reached a point in my life of experiencing the exhilaration of true Freedom, Acceptance and Joy.

I have learned that we must be willing to joyously release who we have been...
to become who we were meant to be!

I have learned that I already have everything that I need...
and that all that I have...and all that I Am, is enough.

I have learned to trust completely on Spirit and the unseen but ever-present forces of the Universe that are, truly, conspiring on my behalf...and then, to release all into their loving embrace & perfect unfoldment.

I have learned that all I need to do is dream, show up...and let Spirit deliver my dream to the world.

I have learned that I am not alone, neither on this plane or any other. That, we were not put here to accomplish our dreams, desires, purpose and mission alone...that there are not only heavenly angels and helpers, but, also, earth angels who were sent to walk this path with us.

I would never had made it to this place of incredible joy, freedom, fulfillment, peace and purpose without the help of those earth angels...they have been there with me throughout this process in many forms and situations, family, children, friends, mentors and strangers...they have bailed me out and lifted me up.

Some are my mentors, sheros and life examples, who are not aware of their contribution and the influence they have had over my life, through their writings and spiritual work. They have been there also, giving me the strength, courage & inspiration to dare to live a life without compromise...

I have, blessedly, spent this year in the beautiful reverie of "entertaining angels, unaware".

I have indeed been richly blessed this year in so many ways, beyond measure, heaped up and to overflowing. But what I am most grateful for were the gifts of the heart...the gifts that I received through it all, from my fellow travelers, teachers, mentors...friends.

Without fail, they have...

-Supported, encouraged, poked and prodded me to express my highest and best.

-Come into my life in miraculous and serendipitous ways.

-Said "Yes!"...when I know what they really wanted to say was "No!"

-Kept me steady...and away from the edge.

-Pushed me beyond my comfort zone...and when I was ready to fly...pushed me back to the edge again.

-Graced me with their unconditional love, wisdom, acceptance and understanding.

-Held the vision for me...when my faith was all but gone.

-Hugged me & held me tight...with warm and open arms.

-Made me laugh...until I was breathless and sore.

-Healed me...when I was broken and tired.

-Always kept the faith...for me...and in me.

-Patiently listened & listened & then listened some more...when I know how tired they were of listening.

-Offered me invaluable wisdom, infinite compassion...and soggy shoulders to cry on.

-Showed me in so many ways...how grateful they were that I was here.

-Gave me the opportunity to serve... and to love them in return.

-Miraculously made that timely phone call, wrote that email, gave me that smile or touch...and said just the right words that I needed to hear.

-Became my Fairy Godmothers (and) Godfathers...waving their magic over my world.

-Blessed me with their sincere & positive intentions...and their non-judgmental & loving feedback.

-And, Always, held me up in the Light of their Friendship and Love...

Giving Spirit the Glory...

HEARTFELT/HEARTSENT

From every part of my being & all that I Am.

I gratefully & lovingly dedicate this remarkable year to them!