Through God's Eyes

W. H. Murray was a Scottish mountaineer whose love of mount climbing is evident in his life.  One of my favorite quotes comes from his book, The Scottish Himalayan Expedition. In it he writes:

 " ... but when I said that nothing had been done I erred in one important matter. We had definitely committed ourselves and were halfway out of our ruts. We had put down our passage money -- booked a sailing to Bombay. This may sound too simple, but it is of great consequence.

Until one is committed, there is always hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.
 Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation),
 there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the Providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help the one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance,
which no man could have dreamt would have come his way.
I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: 'Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.'" 

This quote contains a little more of the original quote than I had read before. Up until researching this, I thought Murray had scaled Mount Everest, but I came to find out that he could not get acclimated to the altitude. However, I also found out that he had been a prisoner of war during World War II, and that he had demonstrated the power of commitment there. While he was imprisoned, he wrote his first book, Mountaineering in Scotland. He wrote it on the only paper he could get -- toilet paper. The Gestapo found it and destroyed it and much to the disbelief of his fellow prisoners, he wrote it all over again! For Murray commitment wasn't just a great idea; it was a way of life.

I am so glad to have more details of this remarkable man's life. It has been helpful and instructive to me.

I must admit that I have become indecisive about my life. I have been feeling discouraged about the diminishing attendance in our Center. I have been wondering if it was time to retire. (Although I did not know how to do that!)

So I got clear! I reminded myself of what I am and why I am here.

I am committed to growing my own consciousness, to elevate it so that I am worthy of what one of my practitioners calls, "the best job in the world."  Indeed, it is an honor and a privilege to be in service as the senior minster here at the Center for Spiritual Living.

From that elevated consciousness, I am committed to growing our community to a place in which we  care for each other's well-being, we celebrate each other's successes and we are a place of safety and love, encouraging all who choose a path of oneness and compassion and forgiveness. My commitment is to live from possibilities, no matter what! Our community is about the people in it. It is not about where we are physically located.

We have not been working together toward a shared vision. Nor have I been clear about casting that vision. Of course, I cannot do this by myself. I will need the support and help of our members and friends.

 Just as the finale in the musical Les Miserables states:

"Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Beyond the barricade Is there a world you long to see? 

The world I long to see, is one in which we love the life we are living and live the life we love. In it we see each other through God's Eyes, with compassion, tenderness and conviction. Each one of us can live the life he or she came here to live.

Why Do People take a Sabbatical?

Genesis 2:  

"1. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 

2.  And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

3. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it; because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made." 

The people were instructed to remember the sabbath and keep it holy.  It was to be a day of delight and thanksgiving. So just as joy is more than the absence of sorrow, keeping the sabbath is more than the cessation of work. It is a time to develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. It is a time to fully appreciate the blessings that surround and indwell us all.

Ministers, teachers and other professional people are encouraged to take sabbaticals periodically to rest and renew.

What better use of a minister's time and energy than to rest from the daily activities and to renew her connection with Source.

I am very grateful to be given a three month sabbatical beginning September 1, 2017.

Please know that I love my work and feel blessed everyday to be doing the work I am doing. I am blessed by the entire community -- the people who attend services here regularly, the ones who have been part of  our community in service, the hundreds of students who have studied with me. I am grateful to be part of a Center that values my contributions and service.

When I speak on a Sunday, I want to speak about the experience of Transcendence from a felt sense. I want to inspire other seekers.  When I truly experience the divine within nature and within myself, I experience transcendence. That is my hope for my sabbatical. I will be a better minister for unplugging and turning to the Source within.

Jason Silva spoke about the mystical experience recently. He inspires me.

 

Being in Glorious Community

On Easter Sunday, Wade Wooldridge sang a song that I had come across on the internet several months ago, "Glorious" by David Archuletta. I love this song: it has meaningful lyrics and a beautiful melody. I was grateful that Wade learned it. It reminds me of the value of community, of being part of something greater than our individual selves, part of the tapestry of all creation.

It reminds me of our connectedness, our oneness. The saying that "when a butterfly flaps its wings in New York, it can cause a hurricane in Tokyo." It speaks of the interconnectedness of all life.

What it means to each one of us is that our lives matter. No matter what our actions are, whether big or small, what we do matters. Because we think the way we do, it also means what we think about matters.

Paul gave great advice to the Phillipians 4:8 with these words: " Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue,and if there be any praise, think on these things."

It is great advice for maintaining healthy-mindedness because it helps us to stay focused on positive thoughts. 

Another reason for staying positive is to keep the thought atmosphere around you wholesome. Dr. Ernest Holmes writes about how unhappy people can influence a whole room without ever saying a thing. Just imagine what happens if Debbie Downer happens to come into the conversation. 

But you and I can decide to be difference-makers. We can decide to take the high road with our thoughts, words and actions thereby creating an atmosphere of love and possibility. A smile can make the difference.

The administrator  in my first Center in Bonita was a difference-maker. She noticed that one of the tellers at our bank was usually cranky and wore a scowl everyday. She came back to the office one day and told me that she had a project which was to prove that like attracts like. She purposely chose the cranky teller and while she was making her deposit, she would ask how the teller was, give small compliments and be "nice" no matter what response she got or didn't get. It only took a few weeks until she was getting smiles in return. 

All of us can make a difference like that.

The song that Wade sang contains these lyrics:

There are times when/ You might feel aimless/ And you can't see the places/ Where you belong. But you will find that there is a purpose. It's been in you, all along/ And when you're near it/ You can almost hear it/ It's like  a symphony/ Just keep listening/ And pretty soon you'll start to figure out your part./ Everyone plays a piece and there are melodies in each one of us! Ooohh it is glorious! And you will know how to let it ring out, as you discover who you are. Others around you will start to wake up/ to the sounds that are in their hearts/It's so amazing, what we're creating..."

I am including a video of  the children's choir singing "glorious" for the movie Meet the Mormons. From this video and song, it appears as if there is a golden thread of truth between our spiritual beliefs.

It is glorious! We are glorious! You are glorious! And so am I!

Transformation and Evolution

Bhaksar & Sudha: Oneness Blessing Trainers 

Our theme for the month of April is "Spiritual Living Through Evolution and Transformation."
"We do deep inner personal work of self-discovery and healing to reveal the greater truth of our divinity, wholeness and freedom."

Coincidentally, I was approached by a woman last week to see if we would be interested in hosting a Oneness Blessing. Since I was introduced to the Oneness Blessing years ago, I was happy to give up my normal Sunday morning 20 minutes meditation time for them.

The Oneness Meditation is designed to give participants a deep experience of the Divine. The meditation originated in India but does not belong to any religion, faith or doctrine.

When I Googled Oneness Blessing the first article I acme to was on the website of Deborah Lindeman, a hypnotist from Fort Collins, Colorado.

"The Oneness Blessing is a process by which we are re-connected with this quiet, intelligent center of ourselves."

That sounded great to me and exactly the theme of our focus for the month of April.

Later in my research, I found some very negative articles about the founders and their character and motives. However, when you Google "Centers for Spiritual Living" the second item that comes up is "Centers for Spiritual Living Cult."

From my experience we are less like a cult than anything. We help people understand how their thinking has a direct influence on their lives. I leave it to the individual what it is they want to think.

If you intend to come to receive the Oneness Blessing on April 9th at 10 AM, please come a little early so you can be seated by 10 AM.

Here is another coincidence. This week in our history of the Science of Mind class, we are studying Ernest Holmes' book The Holmes Papers: The Philosophy of Ernest Holmes. 
On page 4, Dr. Holmes writes:

"In looking over these generations of teachings of India, we find a very great concept of unity of all life.  They believed in one god and only One; they didn't call it God; they called it the Absolute, or Brahma, but it doesn't matter what you call it. They believed in one Presence and one Power, and only One in the Universe. They believed (which later came out as a theosophical teaching) in the mind that sleeps in the mineral, waves in the grass, wakes to simple consciousness in the animal, to self-consciousness in the human and to cosmic consciousness in what they call the upper hierarchies, or ascending scale of evolution, ad infinitum."

I am very curious if my own experience will be different than it was the first one. Since I know that one cannot step in the same river twice I know it will be different, I am curious about how it will be.

By the way, I do not believe in coincidences! Everything is always perfectly unfolding as it should.

Abide With Me

The first line of a hymn from my childhood is in my heart and mind. 

"Abide With me; fast falls the eventide;

  the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide;

 When other helpers fail and comforts flee,

 Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me."  Henry F. Lyte

I know that it may sound old-fashioned, but I also feel the wisdom and power in the words.  It is really the spiritual solution to absolutely every kind of darkness, every problem, every concern. It is asking the Lord (the Law and the Love)  to stay with us.

The word abide means to stay, or remain, or even tarry.

The song was inspired by scripture, Luke 24:29. It was after Jesus resurrection and the disciples were begging Jesus to stay with them.

Knowing that the Christ consciousness is the consciousness of oneness, of infinite possibilities, peace, comfort and hope, we begin to understand why this old hymn was so popular at funerals in mid 20th century. When we feel abandoned or left behind, passed over or grief-stricken, we need God's help. The answer is always to turn to God. When we do, the presence embraces us and gives of Itself - peace, comfort, love.

Today I am grieving the passing of our dear friend Rev. Michael DiFebo. I know with absolute certainty that Rev. Michael lives on and lives better where he is now. And I also know that for his friends and family, hope, comfort and peace are desperately needed. None of us were ready to let him go.He was a vibrant, loving, gregarious bigger-than-life man of faith. I know that Rev. Michael is now fully abiding in God. I know the answer for all of us left behind, the answer is to ask God to "stay with us." 

You are probably wondering why I would phrase it that way. God does not have to be coaxed to stay with us. God cannot abandon us, for It is in us, responding to us, whether or not we believe in God. However, the simple act of asking for God's help opens the floodgates of love, peace and comfort (that were there all along.) It opens our receptiveness to God's love.

So the key is to keep God, Divine Mind, eternal Loving-Kindness,foremost  in our minds and hearts. Then the "helpless' become the "helped."

I am reminded of singing in the junior choir in the United Church (of Canada) in my childhood home of Conquest, Saskatchewan. Of course I was a school girl then. I didn't understand death because I didn't understand the nature of life. But now those lyrics are deeply meaningful to me. I know I am uplifted when I turn to God and abide in God's love.
Below is an instrumental version by James Last.

We Are, One Race

Don Kindred, the publisher of the San Clemente Journal writes in the current Journal: 

"We occupy these spaces for only a fraction of time. But our lives are important, not just as individuals, or families, communities, or states and countries...but as humans.

We are, one race." 

The title of his message is "Life, Matters."

I thought it was an appropriate and timely message. I was very grateful that our Center had been featured in the current San Clemente Journal.

Senior editor, Ann Batty, wrote a lovely article about our Center in that same magazine.
She was interested in us because she heard we were 'healers.' And indeed we are healers. The basis of all our healing is the idea of oneness: "There is only one Life. That Life is perfect. That Life is God's Life. That Life is my life now." When we see life as an opportunity to be curious about each other, we create bridges of understanding and peace.

As many of you know, I was recently with family in Canada for my mother's funeral. After the funeral, family gathered to break bread together and to connect. I was so heartened by a conversation I overheard between my two nephews -- one a high school social studies teacher and the other a salesman. Usually the salesman is known to be a joker. The salesman was asking how the teacher handled difficult subjects in his classroom -- of race, or privilege or violence, etc. The teacher was very passionate about free speech and how important it was to have conversations with each other about our differences without resorting to violence. He also said that he knew that the teens who were talking were usually regurgitating what they had heard at home, not necessarily their own original thinking. When he finished speaking, he apologized for monopolizing the conversation. His cousin, assured him that he (and all of us) benefited from the teacher's experience and was grateful that the teens had someone like him to listen to them and perhaps moderate the debates between students with differing views.

I was proud of the maturity and wisdom in these two young men. I have lived at great distances from both of them, and doubt that any of my philosophy or values have rubbed off on them, yet when it comes down to it, human beings are all in this together. And life matters.

The conversation would not have happened if someone, hadn't been curious enough to ask questions.  We are all in this together.

Wholeness Revealed as Scars are Healed

Sister Kathy and I

In preparation for Altogether Day this coming Sunday, I have been watching the movie "Frozen." The movie explores many themes including the true love between sisters and how actions can be misinterpreted. I began thinking that our deep emotional scars may not have been incurred through a parent's angry words, or a teacher's frustrated statements, but through a siblings's inexplicable actions. When I was a little girl, and even today, my older sister was my role model. I wanted to be just like her. I especially wanted her approval for my activities.

When I was in kindergarten, our class was doing a version of the "The Hokey Pokey" for our annual Christmas concert. The auditorium was crowded with adults and children. Evidently my sister had been teasing me that I would forget the lyrics or more likely put the wrong foot in. When the rest of the children filed off, I when to the front of the stage and peered down at her and asked, "Wasn't I good Kathryn?" She was in 5th grade and was angry that all eyes were on her. She didn't speak to me on the drive home. Of course, I was heartbroken.

That incident held the seed to the biggest belief that I had to overcome on the way to being a platform minister. What I had to get to was the awareness that if I was pleased with what I said or did, then it didn't matter at all whether others approved or not.

Recently when I spent time with sister, she told me how much she regretted being embarrassed and angry. All these years later, those were words I wanted to hear. Wholeness was revealed and scars of the past were healed.

In "Frozen" Elsa, the older sister has magical powers that become uncontrolled when she is upset. Her parents teach her to "conceal, not feel." They did it for her good and the safety of her sister, but it is among the worst pieces of advice I have ever heard. From it, her sister thought that she was no longer loved; that they were no longer friends.

The movie has a beautiful ending in which the true love that sisters have for one another is the healing power of life itself. 

In a way, all of us have the power to heal or to hurt. Our "magic" is in the words we use and the actions we take.

Kaleidoscope OC

I just came from a planning meeting of the newly formed Kaleidoscope OC, An Alliance of Faith Leaders affirming the LGBTQ Community. I am very honored to be part of this amazing group of ministers, rabbis, and other faith leaders. What we have been meeting about is to ensure that our communities are safe and welcoming places for members of the LGBTQ community. I felt that this is a perfect fit for us since we are all about unity and oneness.

We will officially introduce ourselves as a group at the Gay Pride Parade on June 25. We will also be participating in a Shabbat Service at Temple Beth Shalom on June 24. Part of the service will be recognizing those who have died from AIDS or hate crimes. Each of us who will be participating will read a part of the service. I will be participating in the service.

Then the following day at 10:30 am, there will be a short interfaith service before the start of the parade; I will not be participating because I do not want to miss Mary Mackenzie, who will be speaking at our Center that afternoon at 1:00 PM. However, if there is anyone who would like to walk (or ride) in the parade, please let me know; I would be grateful for someone to represent us.

Have you ever noticed that the people who are protesting things usually have the loudest voices and the most press? We believe that that will change as we continue to speak up for those beings who have been marginalized. Actually, I think we learned from our teens who make it seem so easy to accept people just the way the are and just the way they are not.

We have the letter of affirmation and the names of the communities who are participating at this point posted on our website on our About Us Page. Please click on the link below to read the entire letter.

http://cslcv.org/about-us/

We Are a Thread in the Tapestry of Life

 

"Creation is the logical result of the outpush of Life into self-expression.  It is the coming forth of Spirit into manifestation.  The One encompasses and flows through All, spilling Itself into numberless forms, and personalities.  These forms and personalities, propelled by the Cosmic Urge which brings them into being, have, within themselves, an impulse planted by the Divine; and since the Divine is Limitless and Perfect, It must and ultimately will bring all creation into a state of perfect manifestation." Ernest Holmes, Science of Mind

Ernest Holmes  wrote these words long before physicists, biologists,  and others discussed that there is consciousness back of everything -- including space itself. The indigenous people around the world have had a clear understanding of our relationship to our environment. 

Chief Seattle is credited with saying:

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect."

This consciousness of unity is vastly different from the accepted ideas of the day (mid 1800's.) According to the Bible man was given dominion over all life. Most Christians assumed that being given dominion over the world and all its creatures meant that humans owned the land and could do whatever they wanted to it without any consequences. There were consequences and we are now learning to see life differently. When we know better we will do better.

When we see all other beings as a reflection of and connected to ourselves, our thoughts, feelings and actions reflect a respect for life including our own. This consciousness of oneness, leads to making better choices. When we make better choices, we become a blessing to ourselves and each other.

 

8 Strings Attached Nathen Aswell Wednesday November 11th @ The Center

What has 8 strings, is played with both hands like a piano, is plucked like bass, is strummed like a guitar and is used to the celebrate the oneness of humanity? Come to this week's Wednesday Wisdom - Practicing the Present (7:00 p.m. November 11th at the Center For Spiritual Living Capistrano Valley in San Clemente) to find out! 

Nathen Aswell with his NS Stick (8-string instrument)

Our very special guest will be Nathen Aswell. Nathen is a gifted speaker and recording artist based in Vancouver, Canada, and he believes that his calling in this life is to inspire and heal through his words and music. His music is a celebration of life, transformation, evolution and the oneness of humanity. Nathen has performed internationally at Conferences, Concerts, Men’s Retreats and Churches, presenting his music, stories and humour with his voice and the NS Stick (an 8-stringed electronic instrument that can be plucked like a bass, strummed like a guitar, or tapped with both hands like a piano).

I Won't Give Up

Have you ever had a favorite song that you've listened to hundreds of times, literally hundreds, and then all of a sudden you hear it with new ears and see it in a whole new way??  That is what happened to me this morning...

I am a HUGE fan of Jason Mraz, have been since I first heard him my freshman year of college.  His 2012 album, LOVE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD, came out the year I married my best friend and the most amazing man in my world.  We danced our first dance to Mraz's I'm Yours.  We were lucky enough to see him on his album tour and caught him in Barcelona, Spain on the last leg of our honeymoon.  It was a phenomenal show, the picture above was from that night.  This album has become one of my favorites because so much of it sings to the creative process, to Love and Law and how we interact with it.

The song I heard (again) this morning, released in January 2012, is called I Won't Give Up... maybe you've heard it?  It is definitely a love song, and I've always heard it from the perspective of a person singing to the person they love.

This morning, while watching the video below, I heard it completely differently...

Imagine singing these lyrics to all your brothers and your sisters.  All of humanity.  All of us... right here, right now... just as we are, and just as we are not.  Those that you love, and those that maybe you don't love so much, or not at all.  

Realizing that truly we are all one with the One, we all come from the One Creator of all Life... I know that Spirit, God, Divine Love is in us, as us, and through us.  I have faith.  

I won't give up on us.  

When I look into your eyes

It's like watching the night sky

Or a beautiful sunrise

There's so much they hold

And just like them old stars

I see that you've come so far

To be right where you are

How old is your soul?

Well, I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up

And when you're needing your space

To do some navigating

I'll be here patiently waiting

To see what you find

'Cause even the stars they burn

Some even fall to the earth

We've got a lot to learn

God knows we're worth it

No, I won't give up

I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily

I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make

Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use

The tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake

And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend

For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn

We had to learn how to bend without the world caving in

I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not, and who I am

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up, still looking up.

Well, I won't give up on us (no I'm not giving up)

God knows I'm tough enough (I am tough, I am loved)

We've got a lot to learn (we're alive, we are loved)

God knows we're worth it (and we're worth it)

I won't give up on us

Even if the skies get rough

I'm giving you all my love

I'm still looking up

(THANK YOU JASON MRAZ!!!)

True to Your Nature

What does it mean to be true to yourself? 
In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Polonius gives his son, Laertes,  this beautiful advice:

 This above all: to thine ownself be true, 

And it must follow, as the night the day, 

Thou canst not then be false to any man."

A couple of weeks ago, I was almost home when I met a small skunk in my lane. I swerved to miss him and did. But he ran the same way as I swerved and he sprayed the whole underside of my car. He was being true to his nature. Unfortunately, there are not as many fixes for cars as there would be for pets or people in the same position. Immediately the next day, I went to the car wash and had my car's underside sprayed but it did not reduce the smell much. One of my neighbors suggested that I go to a garage where they have  a hoist and get them to power wash the underside. Toyota wasn't able to help me. The skunk was just being himself. I scared him and he did what skunks do. Now I will live with the consequences as best I can.

Unlike the skunk, when I am called to be true to my nature, it will never result in hurt or harm to another. My true nature, just like yours, is pure Love. 
Ernest Holmes defines love as:

"Love is the self-givingness of Spirit through the desire of Life to express Itself in terms of creation... Love is free from condemnation, even as it is free from fear. Love is a cosmic force whose sweep is irresistible."

When we take Polonius' advice to be true to ourselves, it really means to be true to our real nature, to show up as who we really are. 

This means when things happen unexpectedly, we are called to remember who we are. We are called to Love ourselves no matter what and to remember that everyone is an express of Life's divine urge for expression.

Last Sunday I had an opportunity to practice -- my microphone, which I wear on my underwear, stopped working. It actually had changed channels, probably when I was expressing love to someone through a hug. No one knew how to make it start working; all obvious ideas were tried -- new battery, check connections, etc. I was attempting to get back to the platform for the Jesus Christ Superstar presentation. During our opening song I was hoping to have it fixed but it wasn't so I used a hand held microphone for the first part of the presentation. I was hurried and appeared a little harried. Ironically, moments after all this angst, Karyn Allen sang Mary Magdalene's poignant song, "Everything's Alright."  And I heard myself saying words of truth, that we cannot manifest our good, unless we relax into the moment and allow it to happen. (Being up-tight is never one's true nature, even if it is familiar.) A replacement microphone was found and the performance went on as scheduled.

But someone lovingly reminded me that I was a better leader than this, that it makes  a difference how I handle every situation. Self-awareness is where everything starts. I can't change the past, but I can bring more awareness and love to this moment and the next. And so can you.

Affirmation: I choose love in all situations and in each and every moment.

Seeing God Everywhere

Last night in Foundations class we were talking about the spiritual practices of Oneness and Forgiveness. Very easy concepts to understand and often difficult to apply to our lives. Starting a discussion seemed impossible. Then one man courageously said that the topics were difficult to talk about. His courageous disclosure gave the others permission to speak about their difficulties seeing oneness everywhere and in forgiving (especially themselves.) That kind of sharing is sacred and profound. Voices hushed and people spoke honestly about their experiences.

Each student was asked to bring a news story, one positive and one negative. then we read them and chose one about a couple who abandoned their three children in the woods and were later arrested for possession of crystal meth. The children , who like Hansel and Gretel, found their way out of the woods safely, were placed in protective custody. were found a couple of hours later. We then looked at how God showed up as all the characters in the story. The last part of the exercise was to brainstorm ways that this story could be something that was the best thing for our world. Ideas such as the children, now living in loving, safe homes, could become advocates for drug abstinence. the couple could get sober in the penitentiary and change their ways forever advocating better choices. Then we looked at our own biases and how they influenced our interpretation of the story. It was a great exercise which helped people see when they are judgmental about something it narrows their perception. 

One of the women, who has worked with the Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn, was moved by the loving, respectful energy in the room. She said our process reminded her of being in a similar circle with him.
When we truly see God everywhere and in everyone, our lives are lived in peace.

The following is his poem, entitled, "Call Me By My True Names."

Call Me by My True Names

Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow because even today I still arrive.

Look deeply: I arrive in every second to be a bud on a spring branch, 

to be a tiny bird, with wings still fragile, learning to sing in my new nest, 

to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry, in order to fear and to hope. 

The rhythm of my heart is the birth and death of all that are alive.

I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river,

and I am the bird which, when spring comes, arrives in time 

to eat the mayfly.

I am the frog swimming happily in the clear pond, 

and I am also the grass-snake who, approaching in silence, 

feeds itself on the frog.

I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones, my legs as thin as bamboo sticks, 

and I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to Uganda.

I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat,

who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate,

and I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving.

I am a member of the politburo, with plenty of power in my hands,

and I am the man who has to pay his "debt of blood" to, mypeople,

dying slowly in a forced labor camp.

My joy is like spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom in allwalks of life.

My pain if like a river of tears, so full it fills the four oceans.

Please call me by my true names, 

so I can hear all my cries and laughs at once, 

so I can see that my joy and pain are one.

Please call me by my true names, 

so I can wake up, 

and so the door of my heart can be left open, 

the door of compassion.

My Very First Time...an Experience of Transformation

Many years ago in the middle of summer vacation my life fell apart!. (It actually had not been truly together for several months, but I was in deep denial.) My "boyfriend" and I had just decided to move in together. I had given notice to vacate my apartment which I liked but he didn't and the management company had already rented it. Then he decided that he would go back to his old life which included a wife and family. My world felt shattered. My heart was broken. I hastily found a loft in the upper floor of a friend's home. I told him it was OVER, that I did not want any part of the life he was able to offer but I felt that my emotional world was irrevocably shattered. I felt that I could never trust myself again. My life was on the rocks.

Asilomar Beach

I noticed there was an ad in Science of Mind magazine for a spiritual retreat in California scheduled to take place the following week. It called to me. Somehow I knew I would find peace of mind there.

When I called to see if I could register, the woman told me that the conference was sold out but she asked me to hold. Evidently there had been a last-minute cancellation and I could take that spot, if I didn't mind rooming with two women I had never met before. I called the airlines and was able to book a flight from my home in Edmonton to Monterey, California. 

My accommodations

The whole conference seemed to have been planned with me in mind. Every speaker and every workshop pointed me in the direction of personal empowerment, self-validation, love and integrity. Even my roommates were part of my healing. We would talk about spiritual ideas and how we could apply them to our lives. They were beautiful women full of love and willing to share their knowledge with me. We even shared our personal stories and histories. This is part of the transformation.

Both women had been in long-term love relationships with married men. Both of them shared that they would gladly marry the man in question if and when he ever left his wife. These relationships had been going on for years -- five and fifteen! Both women had chronic, catastrophic illnesses although one of the women was in remission. My personal message could not have been clearer. This was a prophecy for my life, if I didn't grow  a backbone and stop  longing to be with a man who was not available, I too would ruin my health and live in sadness.

By Friday night I was still feeling uncertain about how I would cope when I got back home. It seemed so easy to be spiritual there in Asilomar, surrounded by like-minded people, feeling the Divine Presence, having released shame and guilt and moving steadfastly in the direction of my dreams. Would I be able to do what was in my best interests or would I cave  in to the lies the man would be spinning? 

That night our surroundings matched my consciousness. We were surrounded my a dense fog. My friend who was in remission suggested that I see her practitioner who was on duty in the Prayer Room. I made an appointment, poured out my heart to her, including the sordid story, and she saw the Truth of me for me. It was one of the most powerful prayers I had ever received. I was open and willing for a positive change. 

Remembering my oneness, I am empowered!

The next day, I was on the top of the world. I FELT the support of the Divine, in my surroundings and in my life. My new friends and I decided to go to the airport together. I misread my ticket and arrived 45 minutes after my plane had left for San Francisco. Because I was so centered in Truth and TRUST, I just asked the airline staff how I could get home. They arranged, AT NO EXTRA COST TO ME for an alternative flight out of San Francisco the next day. In the consciousness of transformation, fear and doubt had never crossed my mind. It was later that I realized how extraordinary that action was!

On that flight I met a very nice single man from Great Britain who was travelling North America for several weeks that summer. We exchanged phone numbers and even shared a ride to the airport. I invited him to come and see Canada while he was on vacation. Much to my surprise, he took me up on my invitation. He was willing on sleep on my couch. No sooner had I set up a make-shift bed on my couch when there was a knock on my door. Sure enough, it was Mr. Unavailable, begging me to let him come in  for a little while. When I told him that I had company, he jumped to conclusions and yelled hysterically, "How could you do such a thing to me!!" I stayed awake. It was an experience of inner awakening! God is good, 24-7-365!

Have you ever had an awakening that helped you see life more clearly?

The Space Between

In the song, "The space between," by the Dave Matthews Band are the following lyrics:

The Space Between
What's wrong and right
Is where you'll find me hiding, waiting for you.

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/d/davematthewsbandlyrics/thespacebetweenlyrics.html

Interesting concept, there is a space that isn't right or wrong?  Is there such a place or "space"?  In science we're taught about experimental results compared to being in a vacuum.  The vacuum is where the conditions are perfect.  We also use the phrase, "All things being equal".  There is said to be a Zen proverb regarding music stating, "It's the silence between the notes that makes the music".

All these concepts come to that one thought of void, a space that is the "No-thing-ness", to quote Reverend Michael Bernard Beckwith.

The 13th century, Persian poet, Sufi mystic, Rumi, whose words transcend time, wrote:

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.

In the Dave Matthews band version, there is a tone of wrongness and rightness, however, in Rumi's poem its equality.

This field, this silence, this space, this vacuum, this No-thing-ness is the I AM presence, the Oneness, the embodiment of Allness. 

Today, when encountering others, look for that space between, step into that awareness of what it feels like to not have to be right or wrong.

We've got Spirit, yes we do. We've got Spirit, how about you?

Cheering for Oneness

 

The theme of the month at Center for Spiritual Living, Capistrano Valley is Upcycling.  For this past Sunday, "Trash Talk" was the topic of Dr. Heather Clark's message.

In rivalries, taunting others with "Trash talk" can have a smidge of truth in a mindset.  If we are in a way of thinking that does not encompass Allness, a sense of separation can sneak in and create a dramatic tension between two sources. 

Especially in the ways of religious thinking, is one direction or belief better than another?  Each person who has come here to reside on Earth is following their own path.  If the path is laden with a way or belief that isn't agreeable to someone else, it may be difficult to believe that path is one leading to salvation or Awareness.

What if that path leads to a place of pain or discomfort?  Sometimes it's hard to humanly understand these times of sorrow, however, just know that Divine Right Action takes place in every situation.  Sometimes out of great pain, a revelation is born, which may not have been revealed if not for the painful journey.  When we are Spiritually guided we know when Divine Right Action requires our participation or not.

In the title, "We've got Spirit, yes we do... How about you?",we don't need to "Trash Talk" about any other religion or belief system.  All we should know is Spirit is working through each and every one of us.  There are many individuals who are deeply rooted in Spirit in several faiths.  With their wisdom, they can touch those who are congregants of their places of worship.  It can be likened to speaking different languages, some may not hear it spoken in this way of thinking, but it’s completely clear in that one.  Or, at their time of life, they may not have heard it in their 20's, but it's crystal clear in their 30's.  So, if you find yourself questioning, “Why can’t they see it my way?” fret not, they are seeing it their way, in their own time.  We may be Divinely guided to act in their unfoldment, but ultimately, our highest calling is to know Truth.

Q: “We’ve got Spirit, yes we do! We’ve got Spirit, how about you?
A: “We’ve got Spirit, yes WE do! We’ve got Spirit, we All do!”

The Overview Effect

What kind of world do you want? History starts now!

Are we ready to take the leap into the realm of complete and total Unity with 7 billion people?  Can we envision Earth as a space ship where we are all astronauts who work together for a collective good?  In the documentary, The Overview Effect, the journey takes us to space through the lives of astronauts' profound experience of complete Oneness with our Planet Earth and all of Life.

The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, was written in 1987 by Frank White.  He coined the term and concept to explain the experience of the astronauts who traveled through space and spent time reflecting back on our planet.  Thanks to the Planetary Collective, the concept was brought to film and released in December 2012.

Upon entering into Space, astronauts are task-driven.  They are not instructed in soul-searching, an understanding of the meaning of life, the complete and total immersion of Mind, Body & Spirit.  So when an experience what set upon them that had all the makings of a shift in Consciousness, something they were totally unprepared for, they became profoundly changed.

Apollo 14 astronaut, Edgar Mitchell, was led on a search for an explanation of how to describe his experience of seeing the Earth from space.  He was introduced to Savikalpa Samadhi, which, he was told, “means that you see things as you see them with your eyes, but you experience them emotionally and viscerally, as with ecstasy, and a sense of total Unity and Oneness.”  In Savikalpa Samadhi the mind is conscious only of the Spirit within; it is not conscious of the exterior world. The body is in a trancelike state, but the consciousness is fully perceptive of its blissful experience within.

Astronaut, Ron Garan, the Director of The Overview Effect, Guy Reid, and Frank White were present at a screening of the film at one of Harvard's Freethink presentations.

Moderator, Frank White explains, "It is not about me....it's about all of us."

Ron states that he, "has a responsibility to share and do something with the experience." His idea of the Oneness of all life led him to a path of conflict.  Upon seeing Earth he understood that we are all One, however, his knowledge of what is occurring on Earth led him to question why are we not working together for the common good of man and our planet.  He states it is, "Our inability to effectively collaborate on a global scale, our inability to set aside our differences for our common goals."  He sees our future as collaborative and explains, "Open transparent collaboration is going to be an economic engine, it's going to be something that fuels tremendous economic growth, helps save the planet and solve a lot of the problems we're facing.  People who are engaging in unhealthy competition, corruption and the like are going to see themselves being left behind and take on a collaborative mindset to keep up, and that age is just starting to dawn."

Director, Guy Reid says, "The Overview Effect is accessible to everyone, pointing to something far profound.  Human beings have the capacity to directly perceive this non-apparent reality of our radical interdependence.  Not just with each other but with our living earth, our mother, and the cosmos itself."



For the rest of us on the planet, who may never have the opportunity to venture into space, a visit to the California Science Center in Los Angeles will bring a view of the Space Shuttle Discovery up close.  After knowing of The Overview Effect it may appear in a different light. Afterward, visit the IMAX theater to view Hubble 3D.  To witness the images of space on a grand scale may leave you with a sense of wonderment, awe, and an almost incomprehensible sense of magnificence. www.imax.com/hubble/

As for metaphysicians, the understanding of Oneness is already here, that cognitive shift to the Awareness of Collective Consciousness has already been established.  Through prayer and meditation the attainment to Savikalpa Samadhi may have already been reached.  And for those still on the cusp of Awareness, History starts NOW!